


The Healer's Son

by kirallie



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animagus Harry Potter, Character Death, Clan Adoption, Dimension Travel, F/M, Galahdian Culture (Final Fantasy XV), Harry just keeps getting adopted, M/M, MT Prompto Argentum, Prompto gets more family, semi-immortal Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 46,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirallie/pseuds/kirallie
Summary: In the Chamber of Secrets, Harry was too late to save Ginny. Wracked by pain and guilt, he hid there to get away from his best friends hatred. Hogwarts was built in a highly magical place, the Chamber itself was incredibly magical, those two interacted with Harry's desire to get away and when he woke he was utterly lost and struggling to work out how to use his new body.Harry lived happily in his forrest until one early morning, cries of pain roused him. Could he trust a human again?
Relationships: Aera Mirus Fleuret/Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Harry Potter
Comments: 229
Kudos: 1056
Collections: Unfinished FFXV to watch





	1. ch1

_Disclaimer: Don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy XV_

_I finally saw the Bismark and caught the fish to get Ignis’ sushi!!!_

**Chapter 1**

Harry stumbled, scrambling back up as he ran, tears blinding him. it was his fault; it was all his fault! His arm was burning from the bite but he ignored it, Fawkes had cried on the wound and he’d felt better but it hadn’t fixed it totally. Ginny…Ginny was dead because he hadn’t been fast enough and now Ron hated him. He just…had to get away. He opened the sink and dropped down, making his way into the Chamber where he curled up in a corner, shivering and shaking, tears blurring his vision even more than normal. Eventually, he fell asleep like that, his only company the carcass of the basilisk he had killed.

When he eventually opened his eyes he was confused to find daylight. His arm didn’t hurt anymore which was nice, but how had he gotten outside? He went to get up only to fall as his body moved oddly. He stumbled about, confused, until he finally got his legs working, except everything still felt very wrong, wings stretching to catch his balance…wings?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry soared high in the air, keen eyes searching the land below for prey, hidden by the clouds. Was this why he had loved flying so much at school? It was even better under his own power and he dove, swooping down on an animal and killing it quickly. He tore into it, eating quickly before something could come and try to steal his meal. Part of him thought he should be disgusted with what he was doing but it felt natural.

He didn’t know how long it had been since the Chamber, not like he had a calendar or something. He didn’t know where he was, he recognised nothing and the animals were very strange, unlike anything he’d seen in books, even magical ones. He hadn’t even spotted any people, not that he would dare approach with what he looked like now. He hunted during the day only, because the really scary stuff came out at night. Maybe if he was older, bigger, it would be less scary but Gryffindor or not, it was too dangerous!

He didn’t even know what he was and he didn’t really care. With his wings the skies were the limit, literally. There were times when opposable thumbs would be nice but he wouldn’t give up the ability to fly. He assumed he was an Animagus, like Professor McGonagall, though he was a lot bigger than the cat she could become!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Humans! There were people in this place. He stayed high in the sky, so he couldn’t make out close detail but they looked funny. He dipped a little lower, were they riding birds? They things kind of looked like overgrown canaries or something and he’d only hunted them once and he hadn’t killed it…it’d been too cute! The people were riding them like they were horses though.

He followed them for a while, even though he didn’t like leaving the heavily wooded area he’d woken in, he had claimed it as his and there wasn’t anything in the area big enough to challenge him in the day. He had a nice little cave deep inside where he could sleep out of the elements, not that he got cold or was even bothered by the rain all that much. He took up the almost the whole cave and the entry was small enough that only the smallest night time monsters could get in and they weren’t brave enough to take him on.

When they kept going he turned back, unwilling to risk being caught out at night too far from his territory.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was roused form his sleep by the sound of someone crying out in pain. He uncoiled and slid his head out of the cave, scenting the air. The night sky was beginning to take on the odd shade that said dawn was coming but the sun had yet to rise. The air was cool and crisp…and he could smell the night monsters but also something unfamiliar…there was another cry and he slid from the cave, wings unfurling as he scurried up into the trees before gliding towards the sounds.

He perched above the clearing to see a mass of the small monsters attacking….a man. Harry hesitated, torn, but then he launched silently, sharp talons ripping three of them apart before they even knew he was there, their bodies dissolving as they died. A swipe of his pointed tail took out another two as he bared razor sharp teeth.

The man stumbled back and while Harry made sure he was aware of where he was, he otherwise ignored him. He didn’t dare try to eat these things, not when they were made of that black stuff. He spun, seeing one launch at him but then it was impaled on a weird red sword and the then the man stumbled back, falling to his knees. Harry took in a deep breath; he’d only tried this once and he wasn’t very good at it but the man needed help. He felt the warmth built in his chest and then he exhaled as hard as he could, a stream of weak fire billowing from his mouth, incinerating most of those left. The remainder scattered and he let them go, turning to look at the man.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He stared at the creature that had intervened, hand tight around his sword. It turned to face him and he braced himself but it made no threatening moves, staring at him as if…curious? It was not a daemon, there was no black miasma, but he had never seen a creature exactly like it before. There was some slight resemblance to a Jormungand or even a Jabberwock, due to the wings. It shifted and he tensed, feeling his wounds pull but then it lowered itself further, shifting side on to him. He stared in confusion and it made a strange hissing growl. It shifted its wing as if…

“You want me to get on?” he asked in utter disbelief only to be further shocked when it nodded! Whatever it was, it was sentient. He hesitated but then released his sword back into his Armiger, staggering, only to have the creature steady him. ever so carefully he lifted a leg up and over the serpentine body, clutching to the feathers around the area behind its head. He felt the wings beat several times and then they were up into the trees, not flying but gliding between them. It made sense, the canopy and closeness of the trees would make actual flight difficult.

His head was light by the time they left the trees, he really needed to tend his injuries soon. He was nudged off and then gently pushed forward, finding rock but then…a smallish opening. He glanced back and was nudged again so he carefully moved to hands and knees, crawling inside. He had to be insane! He came out in pitch black, a cave by the feel of it, and then his host slid in after him, long body curling around him, puffs of warm air letting him know where the head was. He carefully reached for his healing supplies, glad he knew them all in the dark, freezing as he felt the creatures nose press against him and then it shifted around a little before exhaling and he saw a bit of tinder hit by weak flames.

He glanced at the shadowing face and nodded. “Thank you,” the light and heat was very welcome. He got out what he needed and carefully went to work, able to feel eyes on him the whole time. When he was done he leant back against warm feathers and scales, exhausted. “I do hope you don’t get hungry,” he murmured and he heard a snort…it was amused? How did it understand him? He closed his eyes for just a moment.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry looked at the man sleeping against his side, he looked a little less pale, that had to be good. He wasn’t bleeding anymore either. It was a little insulting that the man thought he’d ruin all of his work be eating him though! The sun was rising which meant they were safe, no more night monsters. He lowered his head and closed his eyes to get some sleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He woke up to find the cave was now lit, the creature sleeping around him but as soon as he shifted its eyes opened and it yawned, showing off impressive teeth. It lifted its head and sniffed at him, nose pressing very gently against where his wounds were, checking on them. “I have never met a being like you before,” he admitted quietly and it cocked its head to the side before snorting and then uncurling from around him, leaving the cave. He carefully moved, relieved to find the pain was much less, crawling out into the forest and stretching carefully.

His new friend watched him, as if checking on his health before actually nodding and taking off into the trees. Had he been abandoned? No…the cave was obviously its home, so it would be back. He moved to the shade beneath a tree and sat, he had no idea where he was now, or how to get back to the village. He looked up at a thud, seeing a dead voretooth nearby and then his new friend dropped down to join him, pushing the animal towards him. “For me?” he asked and it nodded again. “Thank you.” He got up and gathered wood for a fire to cook the meat. It wasn’t the tastiest of animals to eat but he would not offend by refusing the gift. It even lit the fire for him as he butchered the animal, tossing over the parts he wouldn’t need and watching as they were gulped down.

It was rather peaceful to sit and cook beside the far too intelligent animal, he knew it was keeping an eye on their surroundings but if this was its home then likely other animals knew not to come close. When he finished it offered its back again and he got on, smiling when they came to the river, that gave him some idea where he was, and he knelt on the bank to clean up and then drink, seeing his friend lower its head to drink as well.

It suddenly raised off the ground, head whipping around as it made a threatening hissing noise. He stood up, ready to summon a weapon, and grimaced as he saw the pack of Coeurl emerge. He summoned his sword and readied himself for a fight, not his best skill but he could hold his own.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry panted for air as he flopped to the ground, the last electric cat falling to the man’s sword. It hurt! The man looked around and then his sword vanished and he walked towards him, hand out, and Harry fought back the instinct to attack. He was hurt and that was dangerous but…the man was nice.

“It’s alright, let me see,” the man crooned and he shifted to show were claws had raked through his scales. “There you go,” a warm hand stroked over his side and he relaxed. The man pressed and he hissed in pain, wings snapping. “Easy my friend,” he soothed and Harry forced himself to relax as best he could. “This would be easier if you could tell me what hurts,” he muttered.

Harry kind of wished he could talk to him. How long had it been since that last day of school? When the man left…he’d be all alone again and now…he didn’t want to be alone. He wanted…he cried out in shock.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He stumbled back as something happened, scales and feathers flowing in and down, and his eyes widened as he stared at the human child kneeling in the grass. Messy black hair tumbled about his face and he lifted it to reveal startling green eyes. “H…he..l..p.” Those luminescent green eyes rolled back and he lunged, catching the boy before he hit his head on the ground. He quickly lay him down and began a thorough examination. He didn’t know what was going on, but he could not abandon a wounded child. At least that answered the question of what gender the animal was…except apparently it wasn’t an animal?

Once sure the child wouldn’t bleed out he began checking for any sign of the Scourge but there was none. How else could a human become an animal though? Or was he an animal that had become human? A Messenger perhaps?

Now what was he to do? He could not carry the boy all the way back to the village, not with his own healing wounds. Two injured humans would also be far more tempting targets for anything else within the forest. All he could do was wait and hope the boy woke soon. How well could he speak? Had it been exhaustion and pain that had caused the broken word or had he never spoken before? He had so many questions!

The boy was thin, not dangerously so but more than he should be. He would assume he was ten, maybe eleven, except that he was wondering if his growth had been stunted. He had a strange scar on his forehead and a large one on his arm that had gone right through it, in fact it looked like a tooth had impaled his arm. He was dressed in tattered black rags, which did seem to indicate that he had lived as a human at some point…or he had stolen clothing?

He warmed some water after starting a small fire and set to work cleaning the child up, removing dried blood and dirt from pale skin. He went to work combing out the matted hair before tying it back like his own.

After a few hours the boy began to stir and he waited to see if he would wake. Those brilliant green eyes fluttered open, and he could see the confusion in them. “Don’t try to move too much, you don’t want to reopen your wounds.” He assumed the boy would understand since he had appeared to understand him when an animal. He carefully lifted the boy enough to help him drink some water. When he went to lay him back down a shaking hand reached out to tangle in his cloak, surprising him. He shifted how he was sitting and gently held the child, wrapping his cloak around him as well. “Do you have a name?” he asked.

The boy watched him warily, licking his lips nervously. “Harry,” he rasped.

“Harry,” he repeated, an odd name. “it is good to meet you,” he smiled. “I am Ardyn,” he offered his own name in return. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Harry blinked at him before nodding, curling against him hesitantly, and Ardyn shifted his hold on the boy. How long had it been since he had just been held? “You’re warm.”

“Thank you,” he chuckled. “May I ask how old you are?”

The boy shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t know how long since coming here.”

“How old were you when you arrived?”

“Twelve.”

So he had been right, his body was stunted. Was he young enough that some of that could be corrected?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was scared but the man was nice. He didn’t know how he’d become human again and he knew it was dangerous, he couldn’t fight like this. He wasn’t pushing him away, letting him cuddle in like a little kid. He’d never been allowed to do it before, the closest was Mrs Weasley’s hugs but those were almost suffocating. This was nice. His school uniform was in tatters and it was embarrassing but the man…Ardyn, didn’t seem to mind.

“Would you like to come home with me?” Ardyn asked and Harry’s eyes went wide. “I live in a city where you would be safe. You would have food, a bed to sleep in, teachers, clean clothing,” Ardyn offered and it sounded really nice.

“Why?” he knew how quickly the school had turned on him for being a Parselmouth, how much his Uncle liked to try and trick him, there had to be a catch.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ardyn picked up on the suspicion but he did not blame the child. The magical abilities of his own family were often met with wariness, although once he healed a few people, especially if they were infected with the Scourge, that tended to fade. How much worse would a child who could transform into an animal have had it? “Because you are a child and all children should have a safe home. You do not carry the Scourge yet I am sure some have assumed you are infected with your ability. I believe it is magical in nature, like my families powers.”

“You have magic?” green eyes were wide and Ardyn smiled at the curiosity. He shifted Harry in his lap and then freed a hand to summon his sword.

“See?” He asked and the boy reached out cautiously to touch the sword, thankfully not the sharp blade itself.

“I used a sword once,” he admitted.

“Oh?” How had he lifted one?

Harry nodded. “There was a really big snake and it hurt my friends. Fawkes blinded it by scratching out its eyes and gave me a sword but it wouldn’t cut the scales. It was big enough to swallow me whole so when it tried I pushed the sword up through the mouth.” He rubbed at the scar on his arm and Ardyn’s eyes widened, that was a snake fang?

“Well….if you want you can learn to truly wield a sword, or any other weapon that takes your fancy. As I am sure you know, the world is a dangerous place.”

“The night monsters,” Harry nodded.

“They are called daemons,” Ardyn clarified for him. “Our home is safe from them, well-lit with high walls.”

He watched as Harry thought about it. “I…I could clean and cook,” he offered.

Ardyn shook his head. “We have staff for such things Harry.” He wanted this child safe. Magic was rare but…with his hair tied back Ardyn could see similarities in look between Harry and his own family. His hair was much like Somnus’ and their Father’s, though his leaner facial shape was similar to Ardyn’s own which he had inherited from their Grandmother. Was Harry a cousin perhaps? There were obvious differences too but it was possible they shared an ancestor. Even if they weren’t related he did not want to leave him behind. Harry had saved his life; he would see him safe.

“I would stay with you?”

“I travel a lot to heal the people, but whenever I am home you would see me. I have a younger brother, Somnus, who is training as a warrior at home. When you are older,, if you wish to come with me then we would talk about it.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was torn but…something said he could trust this man. “Okay,” he finally whispered and Ardyn smiled at him.

“We cannot stay here tonight; it is not defensible. Do you think you can travel?”

Harry nodded and got up; he felt a little shaky but he’d worked with worse injuries. He watched as Ardyn stood and then they began to follow the river. The man’s light-coloured clothing made the dried blood obvious and Harry didn’t like it at all, but he was walking okay. Harry did wonder what had happened to the Sword of Gryffindor and his wand, he knew he’d had them in the Chamber so had they been left behind?

As the sun was beginning to set they came out of the trees to find an armoured figure waiting for them and Harry couldn’t help backing up but Ardyn put a hand on his shoulder.

“It is alright Harry; he is a friend. If anything, he will be angry at me for taking such foolish risks,’ Ardyn smiled and urged him forward.

For the first time since coming to wherever he was, he left the forest without intending to return.

_TBC…._


	2. ch2

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Glad Ardyn’s identity was a surprise to most of you._

**Chapter 2**

He fought back a sigh of relief as Ardyn appeared in the distance, finding him gone had not been a pleasant surprise. He was walking slower than normal and then he spotted part of the reason, a child! There had been no mention of any missing children, Ardyn had gone into the woods looking for healing herbs. As they got closer he could see the child was dressed in rags, a hand clinging to Ardyn’s own damaged cloak and he stiffened at seeing the dried blood on white clothing. “What happened?”

“Gilgamesh, this is Harry. Harry this is my friend and companion, Gilgamesh. He won’t hurt you,” Ardyn kept his voice calm and soothing and Gil looked down at the small boy, immediately seeing the similarities between him and the brothers.

He knelt down, knowing how tall he appeared to others, especially children, pushing back his hood to let the boy look at him. “It is an honour to meet you little one,” he spoke as gently as possible.

“Hello,” the boy whispered nervously, bright green eyes wide as he stared up at him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stared at the tall man, able to see the armour under his cloak, real armour like the knights in paintings around school. He was really tall too, not as tall as Hagrid but still very, very tall. He had to be close to seven feet! Maybe more. He was also very obviously armed and that made him wary. This place was so different to home and now back in human form he knew how vulnerable he was without his wand.

Then he knelt down and pushed back his hood to speak with him and Harry felt the nervousness melt away as he took in the kind eyes. “Hello,” he whispered his own greeting.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“I am sorry for worrying you my friend, it was not my intention to be gone over night,” Ardyn offered as Gilgamesh stood again.

“So long as you are both well?” he asked, eyeing them both.

“Nothing terribly dangerous but I dare say we could both use a bath and clean clothing.”

“I will purchase some for Harry while you bathe,” he offered and Ardyn nodded.

As they walked it became obvious Harry was flagging so Gilgamesh carefully picked him up, startling the boy, causing him to stiffen in alarm before gradually relaxing as nothing else happened. He would need to warn Gilgamesh of Harry’s animal form in case he changed, he did not want Gil to do anything drastic and destroy the boys trust. They would need to see if he could do anything else with magic and then train him to use it. Learning to control his transformation would also be necessary. Too many would attack him on sight, either thinking him a threat or looking to sell valuable scales and feathers.

When they reached the village they went straight to the inn where they were staying and Ardyn was grateful it had an attached bath house. He led Harry through to it while Gil went to ensure they both had clean clothing. He smiled when he saw Harry’s eyes light up at the sight of steaming water. “Have you used a bath house before?” he asked only to receive a head shake in answer. He eyed the depth of the water. “Can you swim.”

“No sir,” was the answer and Ardyn nodded.

“That is something we shall have to teach you then,” he smiled and quickly stripped off, mindful of his wounds. Harry hesitated but copied and he spotted a handful of old scars littering pale skin.

Ardyn stepped down into the water and then held a hand out to help Harry in. if he wasn’t injured he would give the first swimming lesson then and there but there would be time once they returned home. Instead he settled Harry on the step, seeing him wince in pain as the water hit his injuries before relaxing. Ardyn grabbed cloths and soap, passing some on to Harry to wash himself with before beginning to wash himself. A cleaning liquid was used on their hair and then a knock came and Gilgamesh entered with two bundles of clothing.

“Do you need any assistance?” he asked, putting down a satchel of healing supplies and Ardyn smiled in thanks, pulling himself out of the water to sit on the edge with his legs still in the water, letting his friend tend to the wounds on his back.

He looked up and smiled at Harry who was watching them, cheeks a little red as he kept his gaze up. It took him a second to realise why and it made him wonder where the boy had come from that people did not bathe together. How would he react if exposed to a mixed bath house? He let Gil re-tie his hair for him, saving his back form have to stretch his arms up. Overall, his injuries were a lot better than they could have been after two fights. “Your turn Harry, let’s take a look at you.”

“Ummm,” he looked between them, cheeks now scarlet.

Gilgamesh got up and returned with a towel, holding it up and Harry stood up to wrap it around his waist, obviously embarrassed.

“Relax Harry, no one will hurt you,” Ardyn soothed. While he could use magic to heal him, it was better to stick to various medicines and bandages, he did not want to risk Harry’s own magic reacting negatively now that he was conscious and obviously unsure of things. “Bathing in groups is normal.”

“What about showers?” Harry asked and Ardyn glanced at Gil who shrugged slightly.

“What is a shower?” Ardyn asked and Harry stared at them in confusion. “Harry, where are you from?”

“Surrey,” he answered. “School’s in Scotland though.”

Another look was exchanged, neither of them had ever heard of such places. Ardyn, with his love of exploring places, knew their world was bigger than the areas he had travelled to, but nothing he or Aera had translated.

He finished tending Harry’s wounds and got them both dressed before heading into the inn for a meal. Harry needed to put some weight on and after using as much magic as he had over the last two days, Ardyn was rather hungry himself. Once they had eaten they retreated to their room where Gil made up a pallet on the floor for himself, guarding the door, and leaving his bed to Harry who immediately tried to argue.

“You are wounded young Harry; you will sleep much better in the bed. Besides, it is my duty to guard you both,” Gilgamesh wrapped himself in his cloak and lay before the door.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was surprised to wake up on something rather soft, opening his eyes to blink up at a ceiling. He rolled over to see Gilgamesh was gone but the other bed was still occupied. He sat up slowly, happy to find he didn’t hurt so much. Whatever Ardyn had used wasn’t as good as potions but better than non-magical healing. He carefully got out of bed and walked quietly over to the window, looking out. He’d seen pictures of medieval villages in primary school and the village looked a lot like them.

“Good morning.”

Harry turned to see Ardyn sitting up in his bed, hair hanging loose around his face. “Good morning sir.”

“Ardyn, Harry,” he corrected and Harry nodded.

“Hungry?” Ardyn asked as he got up.

“A little,” Harry admitted. Ardyn began to full re-dress, motioning for Harry to do the same, helping when he got a bit stuck.

“We will be moving on today, we will reach the city in about three days,” he explained as they went downstairs to eat, finding Gilgamesh down there already, his hair damp. Once they’d eaten they went back up to collect their things and Harry was given a small bag with more clothing.

“Thank you.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Gilgamesh watched as Ardyn taught Harry how to skin an animal for cooking. Many would not expect a noble to know such things but he had ensured both brothers knew how to do so. It came in handy with how often Ardyn was on the road. They would reach the city tomorrow and he was looking forward to being home again, to seeing how Somnus was. He had known the brothers all of his life and he disliked the growing chasm between them as Ardyn spent more and more time out among the people, healing those he could.

If Harry wasn’t as old as he was, Gil would assume Harry was the son of one of them but even Ardyn was too young. However, it was very possible he was their cousin to some degree. The Lucis Caelum were one of the oldest families, of noble heritage, and they often wandered far across the land. It was not impossible for members of the family to enjoy themselves in those travels. Likely, there were many bastard children out there, scattered throughout the land.

Looking at the boy as he worked with Ardyn, it was hard to believe the tale his friend had told, but Ardyn was not prone to such jokes. He had never heard of magic that could transform man to beast and back again but Ardyn had sworn it was not the Scourge. If anyone could be trusted to know for sure, it was Ardyn who dedicated so much of his life to healing those afflicted. The problem was, he was but one man, for every person he healed, how many others were left to suffer and turn into daemons? There had to be some way to slow its spread.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Somnus walked quickly through the halls, word had spread, Ardyn had returned from his latest journey. It had been months since he had seen his older brother and despite their arguments he had missed him. He had sent word to Aera so that she would be aware of his return, everyone knew the two were smitten and would likely announce their engagement within the next few years.

He was seventeen now and while he had trained to fight for years, everyone had worked hard to keep him safely within the city. He was a man now and he would not stay locked away in the city any longer. Even Aera travelled!

He left the building and walked down the stairs into the courtyard, seeing Ardyn and Gilgamesh and then he saw Gil reach up to Ardyn’s mount. He watched in confusion as a child was set on the ground before his brother dismounted. Somnus stepped forward and the boy saw him, watching him curiously. It took him a second to see the similarities in look and he was shocked.

“Brother!” he called, walking forward and Ardyn turned, gracing him with a smile.

“Somnus,” he stepped forward and hugged him and Somnus sighed but returned the embrace. No matter their arguments, they were still brothers. “How are you?”

“Well,” he assured him, inspecting Ardyn for injuries, not that he would find any. Ardyn never returned home injured, not wanting anyone to worry. “And who is this?”

“Come here,” Ardyn held a hand out and the boy moved to his side.

Seeing him closer, Somnus adjusted his guess to the child’s age, he was older than he first appeared. Seeing a boy who could be related to them was a shock. Had their Father…no, it was not necessarily him. it was more likely they were distant cousins, but that did not make it any less surprising.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Somnus, this is Harry James Potter. Harry, this is my younger brother, Somnus Lucis Caelum,” Ardyn introduced them, watching Somnus closely. He knew his brother had spotted the resemblance. He had managed to get Harry’s full name out of him, the boy admitting James had been his father’s name and his mother had been Lily. Not common names at all. He was thankful Harry had lost his shyness around himself and even Gil while they were on the road.

“Hello sir,” the boy greeted politely. He looked much better even after only a few days. His hair had been tamed by tying it back and the clothing, while not the best fit, was far superior to the rags he’d been wearing. He was even beginning to tan a little from travelling in the sun, though he still needed to gain weight.

“Hello,” Somnus returned. “I assume there is a story here?”

“Harry saved my life,” he announced and Somnus started, eyes wide. He dd so love it when he could shock his little brother.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stared around the rooms he’d been taken to in awe. He’d never seen such a grand bedroom before! But it wasn’t just a bedroom, Ardyn had called it a suite of rooms, they were all his! He wasn’t sure why he needed so many, though having his own facilities was a relief. He had a big bedroom with a balcony and large bed, and two other rooms, one like a loungeroom and the other with a desk and bookshelves. It seemed he would be going back to some kind of schooling, he didn’t mind. He wasn’t like Hermione who liked learning for learnings sake but he did enjoy learning what he was interested in. Without the Dursley’s around to punish him for good grades, Ron to distract him or Hermione to force him to study he was looking forward to it.

Gilgamesh had said someone would be coming later to measure him for clothing which would be nice. The stuff he was wearing was good but it was also a bit too big, though not as bad as Dudley’s hand-me-downs. He didn’t understand why they were doing so much for him when they didn’t know him, and he did wonder what it’d end up costing him in the end, but they did seem genuine.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Finally back?” a laughing voice asked and Ardyn turned with a smile to see Aera in the doorway.

“Did you miss me?” he asked, teasing and she walked over to clasp his hands before kissing his cheek. He hated being away from her for so long, but he had a duty to the people. She understood, she was the God’s voice to the people after all.

“I hear you brought back a new friend?” she asked as they moved to sit on a bench beneath a window.

“A boy, his name is Harry. Even Somnus has seen the resemblance to our Father’s side of the family. He saved my life Aera and he has no home.”

“So you will give him one,” she smiled and he nodded. “I would like to meet him.”

“And you shall,’ he promised. “He has magic Aera, unlike any I have ever heard of. I could not leave him as he was, living alone in the woods. He was injured helping me.”

“I must thank him then.”

_TBC…._


	3. ch3

Disclaimer: Not mine  
So I had an idea which means the poll will be ignored, sorry, but I think what I came up with will work best for the story.

Chapter 3

Somnus paused and looked in to see Harry sitting with Aera in the library, bent over a book. The boy had been with them for three weeks now and Somnus still wasn’t sure how he felt about his presence. The boy was quiet, polite, quick to offer help with anything and that meant the kitchen staff loved him because he could cook and knew recipes they’d never heard of. Everyone loved him but…was he really that shallow? To dislike Harry because he took the attention Somnus was used to having? 

He had no skill at healing, not like Ardyn, but even he could tell the boy had lived a hard life while they had grown up in the city, wanting for nothing. Their lives could have easily been reversed, there was no doubt he carried their blood. He looked too much like them for any other option and he had magic. They weren’t the only family with magic but when the two were put together it was rather good evidence. It was just possible they were even half-brothers; Harry was just old enough to fit before their Father had been killed. Even if he wasn’t their brother, he was a cousin to some degree. He was also an orphan, like them, and from Ardyn’s reaction, the people who had raised him were lucky they had never met them. His brother was not a violent man but Somnus was sure those people would come to a messy end should Ardyn ever find them. 

He needed to do better, make more effort to get to know him. 

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
Ardyn smiled as Harry joined him, reaching out to ruffle now neatly cut black hair. It had been kept long enough to tie back and keep out of the way, but now it was clean and tidy. He was also gaining weight and his time spent in the gardens had his skin tanning nicely, hopefully it was not too late to fix the effects of malnutrition. Harry was remaining stubbornly silent on most of his past but the few things he had let slip made it clear that his relatives had not been fond of his magic. He would do everything in his power to ensure the boy never returned to them. 

Harry was family, their family, and they would ensure he grew up safe and happy. Aera had accepted Harry easily, enjoying helping him with his studies, for which he was grateful. Harry soaked up any positive attention and she was happy to give it; she had told him it was good practice for the future. Somnus seemed unsure how to interact with Harry, although he had begun trying more in the last few weeks. 

Now Harry was healthy enough to see hoe his magic manifested and if he could do more than transform. Gilgamesh was watching from nearby in case of accidents, as long as Harry continued to put on weight the way he was, he would soon begin training with Gil. 

Ardyn sat in the grass and Harry sat down opposite him, looking nervous but also eager. “How would you like to begin?”

That got a stunned look. “Me?”

Ardyn chuckled. “These are lessons to help you master your magic, therefore you need to feel comfortable. You know your magic, everyone is different. I can heal, Somnus cannot. Aera communicates with the god’s to share their words with the people. Obviously, you have your transformation but that is unlikely to be all you can do.”

“Oh…” Harry chewed at his lip. “Could…could I learn to do that disappearing thing you do with your sword?”

Ardyn smiled. “Both Somnus and I can, so you likely can too.”

“Why can I do it because you can?” he asked and Ardyn blinked, had none of them mentioned it?

“Harry…have you not noticed anything similar in your appearance to ours?” he asked and Harry stared at him. 

“Um…Somnus has black hair too?” 

Ardyn chuckled. “There are enough similarities to indicate relation of some sort.”

“That’s impossible.” Harry shook his head. 

“When we are done here we can go look at the family portraits, perhaps you will recognise one,” he offered and Harry nodded slowly. 

“Okay.”

“First lesson then.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
Harry followed Ardyn down the halls, looking up in awe at the paintings of the Lucis Caelum family over the centuries. The black hair popped up in a lot of them, just as wild as his own. Some had green eyes, though not the same shade as his own, besides he had his Mum’s eyes but his hair came from his Dad. None of them looked familiar though and he didn’t see the point. This wasn’t his world, there was no way he could be related to anyone here. He’d never realised other worlds existed,, there’d been no mention in any of the books he’d read at school. But was else could it be? 

He had to fight the urge to laugh at some of them and what they were wearing, Ardyn catching his eye and grinning, making them both laugh. 

“Fashion is definitely in the eye of the beholder.”

“How could anyone think that looks good?” Harry stared at one man dressed in…he wasn’t even sure what that was. 

“My theory is he was colour blind,” Ardyn admitted and then they moved on.

Harry froze, eyes wide as he stared at a portrait. It wasn’t possible…was it?

“Harry?”

“I’ve seen him before, a painting.”

Ardyn looked at him and then stepped up to read the name. “Leonis Gryffindor, married Amalthea Lucis Caelum two hundred years ago.”

“Gryffindor. Godric Gryffindor was one of the founders of my school. But those dates can’t be right because that was around a thousand years ago and that painting was older than that, but it’s definitely the same person, the name’s even the same.”

“Are you related to this Gryffindor family?”

“Maybe?” he shrugged. “Hermione said the male line died out generations ago but that there were some daughters. Potter’s are traditionally sorted into his House at school but that doesn’t really mean anything. And…it was his sword I used on the snake.”

“Not to mention a family resemblance.”

“Most of the older families have mixed at some point,” he grimaced, he knew that meant it was possible he was even related to people like the Malfoy’s. 

“Do you know how far back the Potter’s trace?” Ardyn asked and Harry shook his head.

“I don’t really know anything about Dad’s family, I know I’m the last Potter,” he admitted as they looked a bit further but no one else looked familiar so they turned and headed back, it was almost dinner time. It was nice getting three meals and snacks a day that were nicer than school food. The food at Hogwarts was too heavy for him and it took him a month or more to adjust to it after being at the Dursley’s. 

“Well, it seems you are also a Lucis Caelum and a Gryffindor,” Ardyn rested a hand on his shoulder and Harry pressed into it. 

A Gryffindor….it did kind of make sense and better Godric’s heir than Slytherin’s. Unless he was related to both? How could the dates be so off though? It meant he wasn’t the only one to come here though, did that mean there was a way back? Even if there was, why should he take it? He’d been treated better in the month here than he had ever, that he remembered anyway. He only had pictures of his happy life with his parents, no memories of it. He didn’t really miss anyone either. Ron blamed him for Ginny and Hermione…she was his friend but she also drove him insane. She’d barely spoken to him since being unpetrified, too busy catching up on school work and helping the Weasley’s. 

There weren’t many other kids around but he didn’t mind, he liked spending time with Ardyn and the others. Kids were cruel. 

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
Somnus knocked on the door and then Harry was opening it, looking up at him. “Good morning Harry.”

“Good morning Somnus,” Harry smiled at him. 

“I was wondering if you would like to join me? Gil said you are learning quickly.” He saw the flicker of surprise and he felt bad for not doing more before now. Ardyn would be leaving again soon which meant Harry would be without two of his teachers for months. It was time he stepped up to help his cousin.

Ardyn had shown him the portrait Harry had recognised, it was a surprise to find the relation that far back but at least it confirmed things to them, even if Harry didn’t know if he was related to Gryffindor. He had planned to begin his own travelling, to see more of the world, but he could wait. He knew it would make leaving easier for Ardyn to know he was safe and that he would be there for Harry. 

They made their way to the training yard and he began to work with Harry, seeing what Gilgamesh had taught him so far. 

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
Harry closed his eyes, focusing carefully, reaching for his magic how Ardyn and now Somnus had been teaching him. He gasped and his eyes opened, staring in shock at the familiar sword in his hand…the Sword of Gryffindor. That answered the question of where it had gone.

“That was very well done,” Somnus praised and Harry couldn’t help grinning, he’d done it! 

It wasn’t like using a wand at all and he liked not having to use one to use his magic. He’d noticed his magic felt a little different but was that because of his transformation or the trip here? 

“Now see if you can send it back and then re-summon it, you need to get a feel for the magic until it becomes instinct.”

Harry nodded and began sending the blade away and then calling it back. Wouldn’t Ardyn be surprised when he came home? 

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
Aera smiled as Harry rushed over to greet her. He’d grown since her last visit and he looked very healthy now, especially compared to when she’d first seen him. She hugged him in greeting, listening as he told her about what had happened in her absence and what Somnus had been teaching him. It was good, that Ardyn and Somnus now had Harry to help bring them back closer together. He was losing the wariness he’d had at first, opening up and becoming happy. It was amazing that he had been with them almost a year now, the time had flown by. Ardyn was due back tomorrow and she was glad, she missed him when he left, even though she knew his work was important. 

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
It was a relief to be home again and he couldn’t help smiling as he saw the teenager running across the courtyard to meet them, Somnus and Aera following him more slowly. Harry skidded to a stop, hesitating, but Ardyn smiled and opened his arms. Harry moved in for a hug and Ardyn was pleased to feel well developing muscles beneath his clothing, his training was going well then. 

“I’ve missed you,” Harry whispered and Ardyn ruffled his hair.

“I have missed you too,” he assured him. “You have been well?”

Harry nodded, stepping back, only to be engulfed in a hug by Gil. “Watch!” he held his hand out and a sword appeared in a flash of gold magic. 

Ardyn laughed and clapped. “Very well done!” he praised. He had not seen golden hued magic before but it suited him. 

“Somnus works with me when he’s not busy, he said you’d be proud I finally got it.”

“And I am very proud. And no finally about it, we began instruction younger than you Harry.” They’d all noticed that habit and had been doing their best to break it, of Harry assuming he was doing things wrong. Ardyn pulled Aera into an embrace as she reached them, kissing her cheek and she smiled at him. 

“Come, wash up, eat, and then rest,” she told them both and they meekly followed, Harry going to help with their mounts. “How are you?” she asked once out of ear shot, Harry had very good hearing. 

“Nothing rest, good food, and company cannot fix,” he promised. 

“Good.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
Gilgamesh nodded as Harry blocked his blow. “Good, again.” Harry was doing far better than he had expected. It seemed he too had inherited the instinctive skill for battle that ran in the family. While Ardyn would likely prefer him to be a Healer, a far safer profession, he needed to be able to protect himself. 

Harry was using the blade Gil had gifted him, the one that had been instinctively stored was too dangerous to use outside of an actual battle due to the poison in the blade. He would need to choose other weapons to add to the Armiger over the next few years, learn to truly use the magic in battle to summon his weapons to protect him and overwhelm the enemy. 

They continued for another twenty minutes and then Harry missed a parry, green eyes wide, only for a weak barrier to appear between them as he stumbled back. Gilgamesh smiled, that was very good, though obviously unexpected. It seemed Harry did best when allowing his instincts to guide his magic. 

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  
Harry lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, worn out from training. He’d been living in the citadel for two years now and he loved his life. He missed Ardyn and Gil when they were away but he’d had Somnus and Aera, plus all the staff and his tutors. Tomorrow, Somnus was leaving with a group of soldiers and they would be gone for several months. He was sad about that, but his lessons kept him relatively busy so the time would fly by, just like when the others were gone. Part of him wished he could go with them while another part never wanted to leave his home. Hogwarts had been his first but when compared to the Citadel it was lacking in many ways. He’d definitely gotten closer to Somnus since he had started helping with his lessons and he liked that they both treated him like a little brother. 

He’d found his wand in his Armiger but he never used it, he only had two years of training with it, he didn’t really know many spells and a lot of them weren’t all that useful. He preferred the magic they taught him, it was more limited in effects but also stronger and easier to wield with no silly Latin words. Which had him suspecting that maybe the words weren’t actually needed, maybe even the wand too. Maybe it was more about power and intent, just like calling up a barrier. It was something to work on between lessons. 

His other form was still a work in progress, thankfully he hadn’t spontaneously changed shapes again but he also couldn’t manage a controlled change. When he practised, he did so in one of the vaults to keep people from seeing. He didn’t want anyone else to know because then they might be scared or think he had the Scourge, despite living with the one person able to heal it. He could change different body parts but not everything at once. Professor McGonagall had said it was very advanced magic though. He did wonder if the basilisk venom had influenced it somehow, the wound had still been burning the first time he’d changed and then all the pain had been gone. 

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, trying to go to sleep. He needed to be up early to see Somnus off. He would also give him his answer then, he would accept the offer Ardyn and Somnus had made and use the name Harry Lucis Caelum. He liked the idea of his name fitting in better, of making it obvious they were family. His Mum and Dad would want that, right? 

TBC….  
There is a plot reason for my choice of ancestor but it will not be revealed for a while

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else having issues with AO3? I can't use the rich text option for chapters and it's being really slow


	4. ch4

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Time Skips ahead!_

_I have now been without power for an hour. Please don’t let this be a long blackout!!_

**Chapter 4**

Harry James Lucis Caelum walked quickly down the hall, fighting the urge to run. They were both back! It had been a while since both Ardyn and Somnus had been in the city at the same time, not since Harry had been officially adopted into the family two years earlier. For the first time in his memory, he had a Dad and an Uncle who actually cared.

He grinned as Aera fell into step with him, obviously eager to see his Dad again. He was looking forward to when they’d get married.

“Happy Birthday Harry,” she kissed his cheek and he grinned.

“Thanks,” his birthday was why they’d come home. He was turning twenty! Even if everyone teased that he didn’t look it, looking too young for his age. He knew Wizards aged a bit slower due to magic but this seemed more than that. He still looked maybe sixteen at most, though at least he’d shot up in height and put on weight and a healthy muscle mass. He’d never be as tall as his Dad but he was okay with that.

They walked out into the main courtyard right as Ardyn and Gilgamesh rode in and Harry grinned.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ardyn smiled tiredly as he saw the two who were waiting for them. Aera looked as beautiful as ever, fresh and bright in white. Harry stood beside her, dressed in black and green, colours Ara had picked for him since apparently they matched his eyes wonderfully. He had stayed out of that conversation.

Harry was officially twenty years old and it was hard to believe it had been seven years since his son had saved his life. His age was a guess but…he didn’t look twenty. He had to be at least that age since he had been twelve when he had transformed the first time and while he hadn’t kept track of the days, Harry was sure it had been at least a year. It worried him, why did he seem to still be a teenager? Thankfully he’d put on height and muscle but still…he had checked Harry over many times and he could find nothing wrong with him. there had been something about the scar on his face the first time he had checked him in the forest, but whatever it had been had already been mostly faded then and it had completely faded away within a few months of Harry living with them, even the scar was barely visible now. All he could think of was that his aging was tied to his animal form, that maybe whatever it was lived longer than a human and matured slower and that had transferred over even to his human form.

He dismounted and Harry moved forward, letting Ardyn pull him into a hug. “Missed you,” he whispered and Ardyn smiled.

“I have missed you too,” he promised, holding Harry at arm’s length to look him over and Harry allowed it with a put upon sigh and Ardyn laughed before pushing him towards Gil. Next to his old friend, Harry still looked tiny, it was an amusing sight. He wasn’t that short, though he was the shortest of the three of them. He had the typical Lucis Caelum build, his body built more for speed and agility than sheer strength. Then again, Gil made even Ardyn feel small.

He turned and smiled as Aera hugged him, kissing her tenderly. “I have missed you so much,” he whispered and she laughed.

“Not so much you would come home for my birthday,” she teased.

“Has Somnus arrived yet?”

“No, but he has been sighted, he should be here within an hour or two.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Somnus watched as Harry smiled and chatted with anyone who approached. He had changed a lot since those first days when he had shied away from everyone except Ardyn. For his twentieth birthday they were throwing a massive party, filled with all of the noble families. He was a little worried by some of the looks his nephew received and he knew it was because of his looks, there were whispers because he didn’t seem to be aging properly.

They had expected to have received some enquiries from the other families by now as to whether they would arrange a marriage for Harry but there had been nothing. Not that Ardyn would accept any of them, for once they were all in agreement, Harry would be allowed to choose his own partner when he was ready. Which didn’t seem to be any time soon, Harry had yet to show interest in anyone.

Somnus smiled when he saw Ardyn and Aera together on the dance floor, it was obvious they were in love. There were some though who were unsure of their relationship, Aera was the chosen Oracle and people seemed to think that gave them a say in her private life as well. It was why they had yet to announce their engagement or get married.

It was good to be home, to be in the safety of the city and Citadel. The Scourge was getting worse, spreading faster…too fast for Ardyn to keep up with in any way. He knew his brother did not agree with his methods but the outbreaks had to be controlled someway and Ardyn could not heal everyone.

They had kept Aera and Harry as sheltered from such things as they could but how much longer could that last? Harry would need gain real experience soon, they had coddled him because of his childhood but that too was beginning to make people talk. He would have to talk with Ardyn about taking Harry with him and Gil on their next journey. He could take him but he didn’t think Harry was ready to be exposed to so much death just yet. No, better he help keep Ardyn safe on the road, let him see death in smaller amounts to become accustomed to such things.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Gilgamesh stood across from Harry, both bare foot in the sand, blades held steady as they watched each other. After a week of arguing, Ardyn had finally agreed that Harry would go with them on their next trip for Ardyn to heal people. Before that happened, he wanted to personally test Harry’s skills.

He nodded and golden crystals shattered around them, calling up Harry’s Armiger. He easily spotted the sword Harry had arrived with but there was also another sword, larger and heavier, that Gilgamesh had gifted him when he was eighteen. Along with the two swords was a lance, two pairs of daggers, a crossbow (Harry’s accuracy with it was kind of scary) and a shield.

Having the weapons was not enough, he had to be able to wield them all confidently. Ardyn had finally agreed to Harry coming with them for a reason, if Harry could travel with his Father and defend him, then Gil could go with Somnus. Ardyn hated that Somnus only had soldiers at his side. he may hate how his brother tried to combat the Scourge but he loved Somnus and never wanted him to be harmed.

At an unseen signal, they moved.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry went through his rooms, looking for anything he might have forgotten to pack. The Armiger definitely made packing easier, allowing him to take a lot more gear than he otherwise would have, not to mention his ability to shrink and expand things. He’d seen older students do it at school and had worked out how to do it himself. He still hadn’t used his wand, using willpower and instinct to use his magic, it worked for him.

He was excited but also nervous. He hadn’t left the city since his Dad had brought him to it seven years ago. He’d studied all the maps they had to get an idea of where they’d be going. If everything went to plan, they’d be gone for around six months. He felt bad about leaving Aera when she’d done so much for him but Somnus would be escorting her home for a while, she had Oracle duties to attend to elsewhere, so it actually worked out well for timing.

He’d spent years training his magic and body, but he’d never been in a real fight, not since the Basilisk. They didn’t go looking for trouble but Harry knew that didn’t mean anything, otherwise they wouldn’t have met. Bandits didn’t care that his Dad was a healer, Gil had spoken of the attacks on the road. Could he…could he kill someone to protect his family? He’d spent twelve years being told killing was wrong…but nothing had been said when he killed Quirrell, the Headmaster had said the man was dead as soon as he was possessed. Soldiers killed in war too and that was accepted. Killing was an accepted part of life on Eos, it happened and you dealt with it. He didn’t like the idea of killing….but he would do what he had to, to keep his Dad safe.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ardyn smiled as he saw Harry’s Chocobo attempting to preen his hair like he was her chick, his son allowing it, having given up trying to stop her after the second night. Even ties back, there was something wild about his hair that just drew the birds to him. Maybe they thought he was a rare black Chocobo chick.

He was not looking forward to exposing Harry to those inflicted with the Scourge but he could not remain sheltered in the city for his whole life. It also meant that Harry would notice how exhausting healing was…how he took their infection into his own body. He had kept that from everyone except Gil. He had only begun feeling ill in the last year and he did wonder how long he could continue to heal others before it killed him….or he succumbed to the same illness he took from them.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stumbled from the hut, fighting the need to throw up, feeling Gil steady him as he sucked in deep breaths of fresh air. He had seen daemons before meeting his Dad but…he had never seen a person infected by the Scourge before.

“Breath little one,” Gil encouraged, rubbing his back.

“Is…is it always like that?” he asked shakily.

“Sometimes it is better, other times it is worse,” he admitted.

Harry nodded slowly, he had never seen or heard of anything like it back on Earth. Then again, he hadn’t heard much about magical diseases at school. He could sort of understand why Uncle Somnus did what he did, if his Dad couldn’t get to them in time then better to die then become a daemon, but…burning people alive made him feel sick, he’d read about the witch burnings. He’d read everything there was on the plague, talked with Aera as Oracle too, it was spreading even with the precautions people were encouraged to take.

He looked up as his Dad left the cottage, seeing the lines of exhaustion on his face and he forced himself to straighten, slipping beside him so his Dad could lean on him. Ardyn glanced down at him, smiling slightly, but he did lean some of his weight on him. they got back to the inn and he got him into the bath house out back, no longer embarrassed about it, helping him clean up while Gil gathered clean clothing and food.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry brought his hand up, crossbow appearing, firing immediately, catching the bandit in the throat but he didn’t watch him fall, forcing himself to fire again. He could throw up when the fight was done and they were safe. He called Gryffindor’s Sword to hand as they got in closer, all he had to do was nick them with the blade but that would lead to a painful death of minutes so he aimed for killing blows, not liking the idea of leaving someone to suffer, not when he remembered the burning agony of basilisk venom. He sensed something coming at his back, a barrier spell flashing into existence behind him.

It was almost easy to fall into the pattern of the fight, magic flaring, weapons fading in and out, bale to hear his Dad and Gilgamesh as they fought as well. Harry hissed as he felt the sharp pain of something slicing through his magically enforced clothing into the skin below. He sent a burst of magic to the site even as he turned to take out his attacker.

Harry slumped to the ground as he realised the fight was over, hair plastered with sweat as he panted.

“Harry!”

“I’m okay Dad,” he called back, tugging off his vest and then his shirt to look at the injury and then his Dad was there, healing magic flowing from him and into Harry. “Dad no, I can do it,” he tried to argue but sighed when he was ignored, watching Gil move among the dead, checking they were definitely dead.

That night he slept between them as they took turns soothing his nightmares.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry careful drew out the runes in the soft soil while his Dad watched him work. Once that was done he shaped the magic to power them, grinning as the clearing lit up with the faint blue/white glow of a temporary ‘Haven’, that would keep them safe from daemons for the night.

He watched as his Dad checked his work and then Ardyn grinned. “Very well done Harry, as good as anything I’ve ever managed.” High praise and he grinned back. It was one thing making them under controlled circumstances in the training yard but another to do it in the middle of nowhere in damp soil.

He wished they could make them permanent, to give travellers a safe place to sleep when travelling, but the longest lasting one had been made by Aera and it had lasted almost three months. Somnus and his army had to rely on their numbers at night to keep them safe but the average person couldn’t.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry smiled at the boy and knelt down. “Hello, I’m Harry. What’s your name?”

“Micah,” he answered after a minute.

“Did you hurt your arm Micah?” he asked and the boy nodded. “Can I look?”

Micah stared at him with wide chocolate brown eyes, but eventually offered his arm and Harry carefully rolled his tattered sleeve up, wincing in sympathy. “I broke my arm when I was little, it hurts a lot,” he told him even as he let his hand rest over the break, magic sinking into the skin, it was a clean break right through the bone. He gently coaxed the bone into healing, feeling the two ends mend back together, the swelling and bruising fading away. He smiled. “There you go, all better,” he ruffled wild brown hair and the boy stared down at his arm before hugging him and then running off.

Harry stood up and stretched, looking around but his Dad was still in the small house. He could heal, but he couldn’t heal the Scourge, he was best with injuries. He sent his magic into the person to speed up their natural healing, his Dad didn’t heal like that.

Tomorrow they were starting the trip back home and he was looking forward to it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry paused in the hallway, hearing raised voices in the room and he winced slightly. He hated it when they fought, it brought back memories he’d rather forget. Every time they came home, if Somnus around, they fought. He could understand both sides of view, though he would find a more humane method than Somnus used, but he hated that it was pulling them further and further apart.

At least Somnus had Gilgamesh with him now to protect and guide him. After three journeys, they had agreed that Harry and Ardyn could keep themselves safe on the road. In some ways, travelling had become more peaceful than being at home. On the road it was just them and their Chocobos, no politics or worries outside of finding somewhere to camp and avoiding bandits.

They were home because the tower for the Crystal had finally been completed. Aera was there as well to offer the gods blessing to everything. Personally, Harry didn’t like the Crystal, he’d seen it once and it gave him a bad feeling. People had begun speaking of how the gods would chose a King to rule them all and protect the people and he knew his Dad and Uncle were the two spoken of most for the role of King. Would that make him a Prince? Like being the Boy-Who-Lived hadn’t been bad enough.

His growing worry for his Dad wasn’t helping matters either. He was sick, Harry couldn’t avoid that fact, not when he was the one to look after him on the road. But Ardyn refused to speak of it to him or anyone else, even Aera. His method of healing the Scourge was badly affecting him. He’d seen the veins of black, the flicker of colour in his eyes, and it terrified him. he never said anything though because there was nothing anyone could do. He gave what magical help he could and he handled as much of the Healing in towns that he could, leaving only those infected with the Scourge to his Dad, letting him save his strength.

The first time he’d been called Little Healer had been interesting and it’d made his Dad laugh at least. It wasn’t his fault he still looked like a teenager and was maybe 5’10”. He accepted the title because of his Dad’s reaction, anything to lighten his load.

Maybe, becoming King, finally marrying Aera, could heal his Dad? The Crystal had improved conditions on Eos, surely it could heal Ardyn and the rest of the world.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ardyn leant against the wall, breathing heavily, not here! Not in the Citadel where anyone could see. He felt sure hands grasp his shoulders and tensed, feeling the rage boil up.

“It’s me, Dad,” Harry whispered and the rage receded. He didn’t know why, but his son could calm him almost as much as Aera could. He felt Harry moved to slip under his arm and then he began walking slowly, supporting Ardyn, and he felt Harry’s magic wrap around them, keeping people from noticing them.

It wasn’t fair on Harry, he was young, he shouldn’t have to care for him. he pitied the fool who dared say that to his face, Harry had a temper and while usually slow to rouse he was fiercely protective of their family.

“Is he…right?” he mumbled and Harry slipped his robe off his shoulders, tipping Ardyn’s head up to look at his face and he wondered what colour his eyes were.

“Who?” Harry asked gently as he began stripping Ardyn of his clothing, some of which was stained black and would need to be burned.

“Somnus.”

“Burning bodies is one thing, burning the living…many of whom show no signs of infection…it’s wrong Dad. For all we know, burning them just puts more of the Scourge into the air and soil,” Harry offered as he worked, getting Ardyn into the bath and he sighed as the heat soaked into aching muscles.

“I hate burdening you,” he closed his eyes so missed the look of pain in his sons eyes.

“You aren’t,” Harry swore firmly before helping him wash. “Gil cornered me again this morning, he knows something’s wrong. They all do. Aera’s really worried. Even Uncle Somnus is, even if he is an arse about it.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Somnus paused, watching Harry as he danced across the training ground. He had come so far from the scrawny child Ardyn and Gilgamesh had brought home so many years ago. He was no longer innocent and unsure but was now a confident young man.

He knew it would distress his nephew to know his name too had been spoken of as a candidate for the Crystals’ Chosen King. He didn’t even like the idea that one of them being crowned would make him a Prince. He never sought recognition for himself, despite the fact the people loved him. Harry would make a good King, he was smart, magically powerful and he cared about the people. He couldn’t cure the Scourge but he could heal almost anything else and unlike Ardyn who loathed battle, harry was an excellent fighter.

It hurt to admit it but…he was jealous of his brother and nephew. How horrible a person did that make him? and yet…he really wanted to be the one the Crystal chose.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Ardyn…Ardyn…” Aera laughed and Ardyn smiled up at her, his head in her lap. “Oh, Ardyn. You can’t expect me to believe that.”

“Oh, but I do! You have my word,” he moved to sit up, facing her.

“Well, in that case…”

He sighed tiredly. It was getting harder and harder to hide his deteriorating condition and he prayed the gods made their choice soon.

“You look exhausted, my love. Are you all right?” she asked in concern, cupping his cheek in her hand and he leant into her soothing touch.

“I am,” he assured her. “The gods blessed me with a power and purpose: to cure people of what ails them. I must see their will be done. Harry is a great help in easing the burden, he heals all those he can to free my powers for those inflicted with the Scourge.”

“Your devotion shall not go unnoticed. The gods will doubtless be watching over you. Just as I shall be watching over you every step of the way,” she promised, leaning in to give him a brief kiss. “It seems to me the cure for your exhaustion is comprised of two things, one of which is rest,” she smiled cheekily and he chuckled.

“And the other…”

“Is me,” she laughed and he joined her.

“Oh, Aera. Pray be with me always,” he whispered.

“Mm.” she smiled and they leant back against the tree together. “I wish you were not leaving tomorrow.”

“You will hardly miss me my dear, what with your prayers to the Crystal. I will have Harry with me as always.”

“He has grown so much from that timid boy you brought home thirteen years ago, even if he does not look it.”

“Perhaps the gods will choose him,” Ardyn suggested and she smiled.

“Perhaps, though I would not wish him burdened so when he has a Father and Uncle much older and wiser,” she teased and he laughed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry dismounted and patted Fluffy’s side, stroking her feathers. The name had been a joke when she was a chick, partly for a certain Cerebus back on Earth and partially because she had looked like a ball of fluff. He glanced around and frowned…it looked…familiar. “Where are we Dad?”

“You recognise it then?”

Harry nodded and then swallowed. “Is that…”

“The forest where you found me. Can’t say it’s changed much.”

“Yeah, still creepy looking,” Harry shook his head but then went to work securing the site for the night. Even after over a decade, he remembered what it had been like, living in there as an animal, a form he still couldn’t take at will. He’d transformed twice in battle and then changed back to human once it was safe, thankfully with no witnesses left alive. His Dad didn’t count.

“We will need to pass through it tomorrow.”

“Joy,” he sighed and began heating water for their meal, no one sane let Ardyn cook. The ate quietly and then settled down for the night, the Chocobos at their backs keeping out the chill.

In the morning they packed up and headed into the trees, following the river they had been ambushed at so long ago. They easily dealt with a stray Coeurl, both remembering facing the pack together all those years ago.

Harry paused, hearing something in the distance and his Dad stopped to look back.

“Harry?”

“There’s something over there,” he whispered, dismounting to go have a look. “Dad? There’s some,” he gasped as the world lurched around him, colours and sounds overwhelming, spinning…his world went suddenly dark.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Harry?” Ardyn yelled when his son suddenly cut off mid-sentence. He scrambled into the trees looking around but there was no sign of his son, no…he knelt down and picked up the ribbon. Aera had given it to Harry on his last birthday as a joke and he had worn it ever since to tie off his hair. “Harry!” He screamed but the forest remained eerily silent.

_TBC…_

_So Ardyn is now 33, Somnus 30, and Harry 26 though he appears much younger._


	5. ch5

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 5**

Harry gasped, curling on his side as he coughed, injuries making themselves known. He pushed past the pain and forced his eyes open, slowly uncurling. Where was he? This…this was definitely not Hogwarts. He closed his eyes, focusing his magic inwards gritting his teeth as bones ground together, realigning before healing, and then he was forcing himself to his feet. Nothing looked familiar at all! What had happened?

The battle…Riddle and Dumbledore…Remus, oh Remus. He took a deep breath; he had seen the look of almost relief on the werewolf’s face when the silver blade had sunk home…he’d only hung on so long for Harry. When Sirius had died it had almost killed him, hopefully the Marauders were together again and happy. The three of them had ended up in the castle, he remembered that much, remembered fighting, but then what?

He sighed and summoned his healing kit to finish tending his injuries before setting out on foot. He came to a cliff wall and went to change direction but then frowned, crouching down to see a crack like…a cave entrance. He crawled inside and stared in shock, slashed deep into the rock was a series of all too familiar scratches. He scrambled out, looking around wildly. Where was the forest though? He should be deep within the trees but there was nothing but wild grassland as far as the eye could see. Was it possible? Could he really be home again?

He had dreamed so much of coming home again, of returning to Eos, but they had been just that, dreams. He had never really known what had brought him to the world or taken him back, other than Hogwarts was the key. During downtimes in the war, he’d researched the Gryffindor line as much as he could, turned out they had owned the land Hogwarts had been built on since before the time of Leonis Gryffindor…who had vanished one day and never been seen again while on said land. He knew the Castel was built over a powerful well of magic, it was why the school had been built there, to be able to draw on that power. There were records of odd phenomena in the area going back to before the Roman invasion. Some sort of space time rift maybe? That had been Remus’ theory anyway.

Time…could that be why the forest was gone. But if that was so….then how long had he been gone? Maybe it hadn’t been that long? The forest could have fallen to a fire or any number of disasters…that would surely leave evidence behind for many years. He forced himself to calm down, running through the exercises he had learnt, calming himself down.

He looked up and then began climbing, wanting a better look at his surroundings. He grinned as he spotted the meteor and Titan and then the Rock of Ravatogh. He let go, warping back to the ground. He was definitely back on Eos. He closed his eyes, reaching for his magic, sending it out questing. He knew the feel of his Dad and Uncle’s magic and Gilgamesh had been linked to him and Uncle Somnus, for safety reasons. That had shocked them all, he’d had to break his bond with Dad to make the one with his Uncle but then Harry had accidentally linked the man to his magic too, something that shouldn’t have been possible. It had come in handy though with Gil able to pass messages to them via the Armiger. He grimaced when he couldn’t feel his Dad or Uncle but…maybe Gil? Working out directions in his head, he thought he was maybe towards Taelpar Crag? But there was something….tugging his magic towards the meteor so he went with it, vanishing will all but silent popping noise.

He caught himself on a stumble as he appeared on uneven ground, glancing around warily. Thankfully, no one was around to see him appear and he hesitated but headed for the barely visible path, following the tug. He passed through the remains of some familiar architecture, but no one had dared build so close to where Titan slumbered! He came out into the open and on an outcropping in front of him….was a sarcophagus….it was what called to his magic. He moved carefully across the rocks; it was a rather long way down after all. He stared down at the stone effigy of a King? But it was the weapon he held that had Harry’s heart racing and sinking. He knew that blade! Well, he knew two of them….the matching swords wielded by his Dad and Uncle. Was this…one of their tombs? Why here? Why would it call to him?

He took a shaky breath, looking around at the ruined remains, but there was nothing with a name on them. For the tomb to be so destroyed…how long had he been gone? He reached out and touched the sword, gasping as it turned to light. He backed up a step, watching the blade rise into the air and then it slammed into his chest and his world went black.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He stared at the soul before him…it was not possible. Whoever it was, it could not be who he appeared. He had died long ago, likely the victim of the evil that had consumed his brother. Yet he had to be a Lucis Caelum to have claimed his Arm. He waited as the boy stirred, finding himself staring into familiar green eyes.

“Who are you?” even the voice was familiar, though older, the childhood accent stronger once again.

“Who are you?” he demanded in return. “You are not the True King.”

“The True… that was meant to be Dad or Uncle Somnus,” was the answer to his words and his hands balled into fists.

“The boy who could claim those links is long dead. Who are you?” he demanded and green eyes went wide, scanning his armoured form.

“Uncle Somnus?” he whispered in shock. “Is it...really you? What’s going on? Was that your tomb at the meteor?”

He flung out his blade and the boy blocked with an all too familiar sword, golden magic fading, making him pause. It wasn’t possible, was it? “Harry?” he asked and the young man before him nodded, lowering his sword, the one that had come with him from another world. He focused, his armour melting away to reveal his true form for only the second time since his death and Harry grinned at him, releasing his sword.

“Uncle,” it was half sobbed as Harry threw himself at him and Somnus caught him, holding on tight.

“Harry,” he whispered, mind reeling in shock as he held the nephew he had thought he would never see again. He pulled back to look down at him, had he grown even more? His hair was a little longer, his tan gone, leaving his skin pale, his clothing strange, though perhaps closer to what he had seen people wearing now? He held his nephew close again, feeling him shake with sobs. Where had he been? What had happened to him?

“I missed you so much,” Harry whispered.

“Where have you been? What happened?” he asked and Harry went to answer only to vanish and Somnus swore angrily at being separated from his nephew before he could tell him anything. If he went looking for his Father…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry groaned but pushed to his feet, staring at the sarcophagus, seeing the blade back in its hands but he could also feel the sword and knew it would come if he called. He touched the tomb, trying to reach out to his Uncle but then sighed when he felt nothing. “Guess I’ve got to figure this all out myself,” he murmured before vanishing.

He reappeared away from the meteor and pulled out some food but then frowned as he saw a trail of smoke so he went to investigate, finding a flat stone….with familiar spell work sunk into it. They’d done it! Someone had figured out how to make a permanent Haven! That would make life easier. He set up his tent since it was starting to get a little dark and the settled in for the night. It would be safer if he tracked down that weird sense of Gilgamesh in the morning. It couldn’t be him, maybe a descendant?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He looked up, frowning, there was something….a challenger? No, it was not close, familiar… he summoned the spirits and sent them out, just in case it was a new challenger.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry grimaced as he saw the river plunging down but also where it split around a section of land. The whole place was very creepy, he could feel the souls of many dead lingering around, controlled. He’d already had to deal with the reanimated corpses on his way down and didn’t want to have to deal with any more. The idea of Gil having a descendant around made sense, if that power had lingered in his line. He summoned a blade and tossed it, warping down.

Of course, that was when a massive snake like monster rose from the water and Harry glared at it, hissing, eyes glowing, a hint of smoke seeping from his mouth. It stared at him before sinking back into the water, recognising the more powerful predator, thankfully. He stepped onto the stone and looked around the cavern even as it began to take on an eerie green hue. A tall, hooded humanoid figure materialized from azure smoke; holding a katana in its right hand; its left arm missing at the shoulder.

“You come to prove yourself worthy of my mantle?” it asked and Harry gasped.

“Gil?” he choked out in shock. How? If Uncle Somnus was dead, he couldn’t feel his Dad…how could Gilgamesh still live? He saw the man tense; didn’t he recognise him? he held his hands up to show he didn’t want a fight. “I saw Uncle Somnus’ tomb, what’s left of it anyway. Who buried him near Titan?”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hearing the old nickname hurt. This boy….he looked so much like another boy he had known so long ago, one who had been loved by all of them. His death had been when everything truly spiralled out of control. To call Somnus Uncle...to know it was his tomb at the meteor… He strode up to the boy and grabbed his arm, feeling the limb tense but the intruder did nothing else, staring up at his masked face with wide eyes, full of…hope?

He reached past the flesh to the soul within, feeling magic surge in defence, Lucis Caelum and…that strange tinge of ozone that had always meant Harry, that was his different magic from another world. His eyes widened behind his mask as he felt everything. “Harry,” he whispered in shock.

How was this possible? He had tried to call on his soul when Ardyn had returned alone, terrified his friend had killed his son but there had been nothing. Which was not conclusive either way depending on how he had died. When the truth of Ardyn’s condition had been revealed he had feared that Harry’s fate had been far worse than mere death.

He couldn’t help pulling him closer, releasing his arm to wrap him in a one-armed hug and he felt slender yet strong arms wrap around him in return, though the height difference made it somewhat awkward. Not as awkward, he had grown some more since he disappeared.

“I missed you so much,” Harry whispered but he still heard him.

He released him and then led him further into the caverns to where they could sit before a fire in relative comfort. “We thought you dead. When Ardyn returned half mad with grief and no sign of you…”

“How long has it been?” Harry asked, wrapping his arms around his drawn up knees.

“Many, many lifetimes,” he admitted, seeing the boy grimace.

“It’s been six years for me. We were crossing through the forest where I found Dad, I heard something…and I woke up back in the Chamber I’d been in before coming to the forest when I was twelve. Only a year had passed there so my being so old was a big shock to everyone. My aging just seems completely messed up due to travelling between worlds,” he shrugged slightly. “I woke up where the forest used to be yesterday, didn’t recognise it till I found my cave since the trees are gone. I went to the meteor because something was tugging at my magic, I found Somnus’ tomb, I touched the sword and it did something really weird. Passed out and woke up somewhere blue and….Uncle Somnus was there.”

That got his attention, he had been called to the Beyond by Somnus’ spirit? He knew little of the world outside his caverns, only what he learnt from those who died within. He knew of the Lucii and ‘Old Wall’ though, he had thought his King bound fully to that, but perhaps it was not so?

“We didn’t really get to talk beyond confirming that we were really seeing each other before I woke up. I found a rock with runes, someone finally figured out how to make permanent Haven’s huh?”

“Fifteen years after you vanished. They are scattered across the world, though there are few on the western continent.”

“Came looking for you once the sun was up, well…I figured it was a descendant or something that I could sense if Uncle Somnus was dead. What happened?” he asked.

Gilgamesh hesitated, how was he meant to tell him of his Father’s fate? Of his own role in it, Somnus’? Aera’s death?

“That bad huh?” he whispered miserably.

He knew the prophecy, the fate that awaited what was left of Ardyn and the True King. Could Harry’s return change any of it? if anyone could reach the man he had once been, it would be the boy he had called son. The True King meant nothing to him, he did not know him and never would, he would ensure the man’s Shield was ready for his role though.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

From Gil’s reaction he had the sinking feeling he didn’t want to know what had happened. Had his Dad…had he succumbed? He’d tried everything to help him but he couldn’t heal the Scourge. “I know Dad was sick,” he whispered. “I tried to help, I did,” he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “The Crystal and marrying Aera were meant to help.”

“Aera died,” Gil told him and Harry felt sick.

He had really liked Aera, she had been amazing and so kind. She had been the sort of Mum he’d always dreamed of, even if they’d only been engaged. “How?”

“Does it really matter after so long?”

“That bad,” he stared into the flames. If only they hadn’t gone near that blasted forest. Then again, maybe he couldn’t have changed anything. “How are you still alive? Why here?” he changed the subject a little, not ready to deal with whatever horrors had befallen the rest of the family just yet.

“It is my duty to guide the Shield of the True King. So I have waited here for him to appear.”

“Are you…alive?”

“In a manner.”

Okay then…great.

“Your place is out there, in the world Harry.” A comforting hand came to rest on his shoulder and he shifted, leaning against the armoured form. He knew he couldn’t stay in the cavern but at the moment he just wanted something familiar. The hand shifted so that he was being held against Gil’s side. He was technically thirty-two but he didn’t feel or look it.

Remus and Sirius had agreed it was magic, the mixing of basilisk venom and phoenix tears in his body had influenced his Animagus form, the change between worlds had altered his magic, for all he knew shards of the Philosophers Stone had gotten into his blood stream when he was eleven. He’d mastered the transformation with their help and despite his size, they had agreed he wasn’t fully grown so maybe that was also influencing his aging?

He glanced up and glared at the mask, reaching for it and Gilgamesh tensed but then allowed him to remove it, revealing his face. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered before managing a small laugh. “Even missed you kicking me around the training ground.”

“I hope your skills have not deteriorated since our last session,” he warned and Harry groaned dramatically. “I will have to test them before you leave.”

“Me and my big mouth.”

_TBC…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided not to cover the years on Earth because that would be like Chosen Brothers. Bits and pieces will come out over time.


	6. ch6

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 6**

Gilgamesh watched over Harry as the boy slept restlessly, the camp lit by the low light of the fire. He didn’t usually bother with such mortal comforts but Harry needed to stay warm. He wished he could leave with him, help him learn about the changed world, but it was impossible, he was bound to the Tempering Grounds until the True King’s Shield came to face him.

He did not like the idea of sending him off alone but there was no other choice, hopefully the current monarch was one of the good ones. He was not naïve, he knew any family, especially over such a long time period, would have its good members and bad. He had no doubt Harry was powerful enough to stand up to a bad ruler, so long as the Crystal and Ring were not involved. Could Harry utilise them, could he be accepted by the Lucii? Revealing himself to the family could put him in danger or give him the support he needed.

When he sensed the morning approaching above, he put together some of the food, glad he still had some skill with cooking. The smell caused Harry to stir, the boy sitting up and running a hand through messy, tangled hair. He sighed and untied it, summoning a comb to attack the mess while also eating.

“Let us see what you have forgotten,” he stood and Harry grimaced but followed him.

“Please remember I haven’t really had anyone to spar with for six years,” Harry pointed out as he took a stance opposite Gilgamesh. “Weapons, magic, anything goes?”

“Sword work first,” he answered, watching him easily summon the sword Gil had given him so long ago.

Two hours later he took mercy on his old student as the much younger male collapsed on the rocks, panting for air, hair soaked with sweat. “I know…I’m out of practice,” he groaned.

“Perhaps you should remain here for a time to regain your old skills. The last challenge spoke of a war, it would not be good for you to find yourself in battle unprepared.”

Harry nodded and then went back to the river to clean up.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Three months later, Gil was content with his abilities and Harry was packing up slowly. He knew it wasn’t healthy for him to stay but Gilgamesh and the sword now bonded to him were the only links he had to his family. He’d been confused when using his Uncles blade seemed to affect his heath and energy levels and Gilgamesh had explained what little he knew of the ‘Royal Arms’. Out of curiosity he was considering hunting them down to see what his…descendants?...had left for those who followed. There’d been quite a few generations between him and his Dad, how many were there now between him and the current King or Queen? Would a DNA test even be able to find it? If they even had those.

“I’ll visit,” Harry promised and Gil nodded. “I’ll bring you history books and fun reading too.”

“I have been here for centuries Harry, do not worry about me. Be careful about approaching the Lucis Caelum,” he warned and Harry nodded.

“Would I even be in any history books?” he asked and Gilgamesh hesitated.

“Maybe, though it would only be your adopted name.”

Harry nodded in understanding; he could be Harry Potter again to make things simpler. He just didn’t want to; he’d refused to answer to the name back on Earth. He moved in to hug Gilgamesh, feeling an arm wrap around him in return, Gil’s hugs had always made him feel so safe, they still did even with an arm missing.

“Stay safe, Little Healer,” his old title was offered teasingly and Harry laughed before stepping back.

“I’ll be back to visit,” he promised before with a barely audible pop he vanished, grinning at his last sight of Gil, red eyes wide.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He stared at where Harry had been a second before, that had not been warping! The small, cheeky, smile before he vanished was a relief though. Obviously he had learnt much in his time back with his birth people, even if his weapons skills had been left to fade some. Harry had not told him much of what had happened but he could read the signs well enough, he had been through a war. what kind of war did not use weapons though? Did his people really rely so much on their magic. He shook his head, that made no sense to him at all.

To know Ardyn had not harmed his son was a relief. Looking back on that day…even as the Scourge made its appearance within him…he’d been trying to protect Aera despite the fact she had already passed. He closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall. Could they have helped him? He hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell Harry the truth and what did it matter? Ardyn was locked away on Angelgard, wasn’t he?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry appeared near the Haven he had stayed at during his first night back. The first step was finding some sort of settlement and then learning everything he could. He didn’t like Legilimency, it was a massive breach of privacy, especially when used on non-magicals who had no hope of shielding their minds. Under the circumstances, it would be the best way for him to learn something of how Eos had changed in his absence, he knew it could be dangerous to be a stranger who seemed to lack basic knowledge, it would make him stand out too much.

In the full light of day he spotted a path and set out to follow it, sword a strange weight on his hip but only the Lucis Caelum could access the Armiger and for now he was just a simple traveller which meant he had to carry a weapon for protection. He was surprised when the path lead him to a road, a paved road with metal railings….like something from Earth. It had been a long time so it made sense that the people had advanced. He saw a car approaching and hesitated but then waved at them, relieved when the car slowed and the driver got out, eyeing him with only slight wariness.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” Harry smiled tiredly, knowing he looked a bit road worn but that had been the idea. “I’m very lost, can you tell me where the nearest town or anything is?”

The other man looked him over, seeing the sword, battered pack and dusty clothing. He was wearing some of his modern clothing due to the way Gil had described the dress of his last challenger several years before and what had sounded like a military uniform…that had zippers!

“There’s Lestallum, if that’s where you’re headed, but there’s some outposts closer.” He shrugged and then nodded. “I’m heading for Lestallum if you’re going there?” he offered and Harry smiled.

“Thank you,” he approached slowly and got in the car, placing his pack and sword in the back seat, seeing his driver relax at that. “I’m Harry,” he offered.

“Neal.”

“Thanks again for the help.”

“This isn’t Insomnia, out here everyone helps each other,” he shrugged as he pulled back onto the road properly. “We’ll need to stop overnight but should be there around lunchtime tomorrow.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry leant forward as they came out of the tunnel to see the town of Lestallum, taking in the mass of buildings built up into the side of a hill or cliff, the cars and people. Neal pulled off to the left, going down a ramp into a parking lot. He parked and they got out, the heat hitting instantly and Harry was very glad for cooling charms. He grabbed his things and dug into his pack, pulling out a few galleons, not exactly local currency but gold was gold. “Here,” he handed it over. “Thank you for the help.” He slipped away into the crowd before the other could say anything.

A little magic ensured people didn’t pay him any attention as he walked around, learning the lay of the land. He found the large open market and browsed, watching how people paid, Gil was still the currency then. He had a little but hopefully he’d be able to exchange gold for Gil. It was far more relaxed than London and there was a definite difference in size and population. The women were…not what he was expecting, dressed in what had to be a uniform, well-built and loud. A while of listening revealed they worked in the power plant and that men couldn’t. They were harnessing meteor shards for power? That was unexpected.

He watched as people approached the owner of a café, showing him animal parts in exchange for funds. The people tended to be dressed in rugged clothing and were armed, he then saw one remove some kind of dog tags and hand them over to have something marked on them. When that man walked away Harry followed, managing to corner him in an Alley where he slipped into his mind. He was a Hunter; someone whose job was to deal with animals and daemons that threatened people. They were organised almost like an army, though less structured. He got everything he could and then Obliviated him before going to pick another target.

Three hours later he checked into the Leville and collapsed on the bed, nursing a headache and in shock. Two thousand years!!! It felt impossible and yet he knew it was possible, Leonis had come to Eos over a thousand years before he had, and yet by the timeline of Eos, they had only arrived two centuries before him. The anomaly Hogwarts had been built over obviously fluctuated a lot.

The Lucis Caelum ruled the Kingdom of Lucis from their capitol, Insomnia. The current king was Regis, the hundred and thirteenth since the Founder King, the Mystic. And that title kind of made him want to laugh, he really hoped his Uncle hadn’t chosen that title himself. Though it really raised a lot of questions, most had assumed Dad would be king. Maybe he had ruled briefly or hadn’t unified everything into Lucis, so he was left off the list? Gil had said Aera died and with Harry vanished, he could have died without his own heir, leaving Somnus to inherit.

They were at war and had been for a long time with the Empire of Niflheim, based on the western continent, a war it seemed the people thought they were losing. Attitudes towards the capital and the Royal family were mixed but…a lot of them saw them as useless. The empire occupied almost all of Lucis, only Insomnia protected by a magical wall that used to cover a lot more of the continent.

Magitek….they couldn’t mean the old Solheim technology, could they? The thought that it had been revived…where would they have found information enough to remake such things? Even in his time, little was known, even with Dad and Aera’s fascination with the ruins. Who could be insane enough to try to imitate the kingdom that had brought about so much ruin in their arrogance?

He knew he was still missing a lot; no civilians were going to know everything. He needed access to records and that meant Insomnia. For that, he’d need some form of identification to get through. Going in as a refugee would severely limit his options from the rumours he’d hears. It seemed the city liked being cut off from the rest of the Kingdom and looked down on them. Unless he joined the Kingsglaive?

Passing himself off as a native of the city would be impossible, not with the glimpses he’d gotten of their technology level from the minds of some tourists. It was interesting that such a high tech city still had an army that relied on bladed weapons rather than firearms. Because of magic? But that didn’t make sense, unless the magical bloodlines had spread out enough over the centuries that an army could be gathered from them? It didn’t really matter, he only knew the bare basics of Earth computers, he didn’t have the skill necessary to create an identity and slip it into a foreign system.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was in Galdin three weeks later when he heard the rumours of a new batch of refugees coming in from Galahd and heading for Insomnia with the King’s welcome. Perfect. When the group reached the road leading to Hammerhead, Harry slipped in, using magic to copy and alter id documents as well as plant memories of himself, letting their own imaginations fill in the blanks. He looked young enough still to pass as early twenties, maybe late teens so it was okay that he lacked the braids of an adult. He made himself eighteen for some leeway. He was just glad he couldn’t pass as sixteen anymore. A little bit of transfiguration had his clothing fitting in, and Harry Peverell was just one more Galahdan refugee.

The Peverell line, like the Gryffindor, had died out in the male line, a daughter marrying into the Potter’s centuries ago, so he could use the name. Not like anyone on Eos could check if he had a right to use the name. They were put into a camp near Hammerhead to be processed into the city and Harry moved about the group, helping to treat injuries using herbal remedies rather than magic since he didn’t want to get too much attention.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor watched the refugees as they began processing them. They were all skinny, many of them still injured. He knew there could be Imperial sympathisers or plants within the group, they had remained in Galahd after the last attack that had given them so many of their current Glaives. Though with the ages of many, they would have been children back then, left behind or with parents who refused to evacuate?

He joined some of his people, giving out food and blankets, tending to injuries and that was when he spotted one of the refugees doing the same. When the boy…young man turned it was all Cor could do not to start. Black hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, green eyes serious as he checked on a younger child’s broken limb…it wasn’t possible, was it? He was young enough by the look of him, too old for the only other possible parentage…though maybe a few generations? But he looked too much like…like Regis. He looked around the same age as Noctis, maybe a little older, too young to be a bastard of Mors.

He steadied himself and then approached, squatting down to give the child a chocolate bar, getting a wary look in return but the older boy smiled and ruffled dark hair, opening it for the child. “Papers?” he asked and the older boy nodded, making sure the kid was munching away happily, arm re-wrapped firmly before he dug out his paperwork, handing it over.

Cor studied it, taking in the name - Harry Peverell, age was eighteen so one year older than Noctis. Father – unlisted, that was interesting. “Your family with you?”

“No sir,” he answered softly. “I never knew my Father and…she…she didn’t make it,” he forced out and Cor mentally winced.

“You’re old enough that no one will force a foster family on you. There’s a whole sector with refugees from Galahd, maybe you’ll find some extended family. Seems you know something about healing.”

“I’m okay,” he shrugged slightly.

“The King will be opening recruitment for the Glaive; they could always use more healers.”

“I’ll think about it, thank you.”

Cor nodded and followed the kid with the broken arm back to his family to check on them. He’d wait and see before mentioning anything to anyone, his appearance could be a coincidence, he wouldn’t be the only child from Galahd who somewhat resembled the Royal Family. Some people whispered about Ulric due to how easily he had taken to the magic after all.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry bit his lip as they passed through the Wall, feeling the sheer magic in it and lowering his head, knowing his eyes were likely glowing in reaction. He knew that magic…the Crystal and Lucis Caelum magic. He’d known the Crystal was around even if he had half hoped the thing had been blown up or lost over the last two thousand years. There was still something about it that just felt wrong to him, the idea his family had been linked to it so long did not sit well at all.

He slammed up every shield he had, not wanting King Regis or anyone else to sense him, or if they did sense something, to track it to him. he’d already decided to volunteer for the Glaive, he’d just have to fake not having his own magic and hope no one realised.

He stared at the city, feeling a small hand squeeze his nervously so he picked little Adrian up, settling the boy on his hip as they walked across the bridge to enter Insomnia. With three younger sisters his mother was rather overloaded so Harry had been helping her with the children. The city reminded him of Earth, somewhere like New York or Tokyo or something. And even from where they were, he could see part of the Citadel, the pillar of energy that powered the Wall rising from it.

Once inside they were met with people dressed like them, some in heavy black uniforms as well but wearing braids. Cheers went up at seeing some of their own people, the groups merging into one, people hugging strangers in their relief.

“You’re okay now kid, you’re safe,” a man offered, resting a hand on his shoulder and Harry looked up at him, finding kind blue eyes and the subtle tattoos of a Galahdan hunter though he wore the heavy black uniform, Glaive maybe?

Harry gave him a tired smile and then handed Adrian off to his mother when she appeared. “Thanks.”

“Nyx Ulric,” the man introduced himself.

“Harry Peverell. Are you one of the Glaive we were told about in camp?”

“Sure am, thinking of trying out? You old enough?” He asked, getting Harry moving with the rest, he was actually tired and not faking it, getting hit by the Wall and having to shield had been draining.

“I’m eighteen,” he answered.

“Well, all you have to do is find one of us to talk about it with. I know a new round of recruitment is opening in the next week or two. Gives you time to settle and think about it. It’s not an easy life but the pay’s okay and the work is always interesting.”

Harry nodded as they moved further into the city and then down off the main streets into a lower level of the city, hiding a grimace but he’d expected it. every city had a lower class area and refugees usually ended up in them.

“Welcome to Little Galahd.”

_TBC…_


	7. ch7

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_So Harry’s passing himself off as an eighteen year old and looks believable enough for people to accept it._

_I am leaning towards two possible pairings for him, Harry/Cor or Harry/Prompto with Prompto currently in the lead. Comments on that idea are welcome._

**Chapter 7**

Nyx looked up, spotting the kid he’d met the other day and turned to Caius, another of the new arrivals. “Why doesn’t he wear braids?”

Caius winced slightly. “He has no known male relatives. With Bellona choosing such an obviously non-Galahdan name for the boy…no one was willing to step up. She raised him on her own but she was stubborn and well, you know how the smaller villages can be about outsiders.” He hadn’t really known her but word had spread of her and her son to his own village.

Nyx grimaced but nodded, well able to imagine what it had been like for young Harry with only his mother. While they tended to be matriarchal, some things only a father could do, such as teaching their son how to braid their hair and what each type meant along with the beads. “He’s earnt them?”

“Several times over just on the journey, he’s good with a sword, agile and fast.”

Nyx nodded and then stood, wandering over to Harry who was browsing the small open market they put on once a week. The teen looked up and smiled at him so Nyx nodded. “Settling in alright?”

“It’s…different, too noisy but I guess I’ll get used to it eventually.”

Nyx snorted. “Yeah, we all had that problem at first. You give joining the Glaive any more thought?”

“Subtle,” the teen smirked but then nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ll sign up. Not sure what else I could really do. Gotta pay the bills somehow I guess.”

“Yeah,” he’d only get a month of rent covered before being expected to pay his way, they were lucky to get that much government help with the anti-refugee attitudes in the city. Thankfully, the King had insisted they get that much to give them time to find work. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the Matriarch,” he motioned for Harry to follow him and the teen did, eyeing him warily. “She’s the oldest grandmother in Little Galahd, great-great-grandmother probably. Keeps an eye on everyone and everything.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry nodded, he’d spent the last week getting settled into a dingy little apartment, more a room really, and reading as many people as he could. He needed to be able to pass as one of them after all. It was such a rich culture and there was a lot to learn but his keeping his first name had actually worked in his favour, the implanted memories spinning off into a tale of a foreign father which left him growing up rather isolated due to a lack of relatives. He couldn’t have planned it better if he had tried. Still, meeting someone so important to the community was very nerve wracking and he was relieved to get through it without messing up.

Nyx clasped his shoulder as they left, having accepted a small package from the ancient woman. Harry himself was laden down with food and warm, handmade blankets, gifts to welcome him. He had the feeling her acceptance of him is very important to his place in the tight knit community and was glad he hadn’t messed it up. Nyx helped him get it home and then sat down with him, putting the small package on the table and then opening it to reveal three beads.

“It should have been your Father giving you these,” Nyx whispered. “In his stead, I offer my knowledge and aid,” the words were formal and Harry swallowed. He should say no, admit to the truth but…he couldn’t tell the truth. Who would believe him?

“Thank you,” was all he could say in the end and Nyx smiled solemnly. He carefully parted Harry’s hair, teaching him the correct braids and how to secure the beads. One for becoming a man, one for his first hunt, and one for his first battle. He could gain more as time went on, though most didn’t bother with more than the four most important ones, the fourth being for marriage. He would never be accepted by their people already in the Glaive if he came with his hair un-braided, he would be seen as nothing more than a child, or worse.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor checked the list and nodded when he saw the name he’d been looking for.

“You’re rather focused on the possible Glaive recruits,” Clarus commented.

“Harry Peverell, came in with the new refugees,” Cor answered. “While most of the others were resting, he was checking over injuries and using herbs to treat them. I mentioned the Glaive to him and was curious if he’d decide to try out.” He set the list aside and ignored Clarus’ raised eyebrow.

“Must have made quite the impression on you,” he smirked and Cor sighed but brought up the teens file that was now in the system, tossing it to Clarus, knowing the photo would be the first thing he saw. “Ah, yes, well. I suppose we’ll be facing the same rumours Ulric caused if the kids any good with magic.”

Cor snorted, that had been fun, Nyx was technically young enough to be Regis’ son after all, if he’d had a child at eighteen. He hadn’t even been married at that age which just helped fuel the rumours of a forbidden romance in Galahd…not that Regis had been outside the city then. This boy looked even more like a Lucis Caelum than Ulric did, though once again the dates were impossible. Regis had been happily married to Aulea when this Harry was conceived, and hadn’t left the city in two years. Still…he did wonder if other members of the family hadn’t enjoyed time on the islands. It would explain a lot about how easily many of them took to the magic. “We can always publish just that part of his medical file with his permission if it gets too wild.”

“You think he’ll make it in then?”

Cor nodded; he had no doubt the teen had what it would take. “I’d guess as a healer or mage, though he does carry a sword.”

“Thinking of stealing him for the Guard?” Clarus teased and he snorted.

“No,” he’d had enough trouble at first thanks to his Mother’s family, he wouldn’t put Harry through it, well he’d likely have it even worse.

There’d been some comments and snide remarks aimed at young Prompto, though being the Prince’s best friend did offer some protection there, especially with Gladio keeping an eye on things. And he wasn’t even officially a recruit, yet. They all knew it would happen, Noctis had turned down every suggestion for his final Guard member, obviously waiting for Prompto to finish school and join up. Technically he didn’t have to finish high school first but it would be harder to do both at one time. Cor planned to help with his training himself, due to anxiety issues and…well, every exam had said he was a normal child by the time he was adopted, but if anything was going to crop up it’d be during training. There was no sign he even remembered his life before Insomnia and Cor really hoped that was true.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry lined up with the others, all of them looking worse for wear after three days of being put through their paces. They were still dressed in the clothing that they had been given, similar to the Glaive uniforms but with no decoration or armour. There were thirty of them but he didn’t think they’d all be accepted. The Captain of the Kingsglaive walked up and down the line and Harry spotted Nyx standing with another man and a woman, the Glaive spotting him and nodding in greeting.

“Congratulations on surviving the physical portion of the assessment. Next up is the medical exams starting tomorrow. When that’s through you will be contacted to tell you whether or not you have been accepted into the Kingsglaive and if you are then further information will be given then. Good luck,” he told them before dismissing them.

Harry went to the locker room and showered before changing back into his own clothes, shoving his hair back in a fresh ponytail, braids hanging free. He grabbed his bag and headed out.

“Harry!” Nyx called and he made his way over to him.

“Hey,” he greeted tiredly.

“Harry Peverell, this is Libertus Ostium and Crowe Altius.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harry offered a smile.

“You too kid,” Crowe grinned at him. “You look beat.”

“I am,” he admitted, stretching slightly.

“I was going to invite you for a drink but…” Nyx looked him over.

“Sorry, my bed is calling,” Harry shrugged and they laughed.

“Well you can at least walk with us,” Libertus told him so they walked from the Glaive’s headquarters together. It was fun to listen to their stories of missions and life in the city. They parted once back in their sector and Harry went to collapse into bed, very glad he’d spent three months with Gil or else he’d be feeling a million times worse. At least he was sure he’d be accepted, his combat skills had been in the top ten and he’d pass a medical exam, all that was left after that was the linking to the King’s magic.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Titus read over the files for the possible new recruits, thirty had applied but he could only take on eighteen. There were some clear candidates to accept and some to reject but overall it was not easy. One candidates file got tossed due to an undiagnosed health condition which took the applicant numbers down to twenty nine.

He paused on one, Harry Peverell, eighteen, orphaned with no known family at all left alive. Signs of possible malnutrition as a child that was corrected as he grew as well as some interesting scars and signs of old breaks that weren’t properly seen to, neglect? Something worse? Or just growing up in a war zone? He wasn’t the youngest applicant in the group, but the other two had at least some family. He pulled up the medical exam and stared in surprise before smirking, he could be a very good candidate.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Regis,” Cor greeted his King, taking his normal seat in his study, Clarus collapsed in the other, the brandy already open on the desk. “Clarus.”

“Cor,” Regis poured him a glass and pushed it over. “Clarus has been telling me about your interest in one of the Glaive hopefuls,” he teased and Cor rolled his eyes.

“He’s a kid who looks scarily like you and seems to know his stuff when it comes to healing. Why?”

“Well, I pulled up his medical report,” Regis admitted, passing the tablet over and Cor picked it up.

Most of it was pretty standard, though the indications of his early years wasn’t nice but hardly unexpected considering what news they’d had out of Galahd over the years, so long as it was caused by the Imperial occupation and not something closer to home. Thankfully he was healthy and there was nothing to keep him from joining the Glaive…he froze as he stared at the small note. He re-read it and then glanced up at Regis who nodded. “He really is related?”

“Very, very distantly. Since the family was magical even before being chosen by Bahamut to guard the Crystal, he could be related back to before the Founder King. There’s no way to pin it down after about ten generations and its definitely further back than that,” Regis explained. “It does mean he’ll be able to use magic, perhaps even better than any of the other Glaives. He may even have magic of his own and either doesn’t know or keeps it quiet since it would be dangerous if the Empire learnt of it. There’s no paternal records unfortunately so we have no way to track the family link back.”

“This marker shows up in every relative?”

“Yes, and the Oracle’s line has one as well,” Regis sighed. “Not even Titus has seen that part of his file, it’s not common knowledge.”

“Might be best to keep this to ourselves,” Clarus pointed out. “The kid will be safer without that kind of attention. Do you want to meet him, tell him? He has no family, learning something about his family line could be a powerful way to bind him to the Crown.”

Regis flinched slightly and Cor knew he’d hate the idea of using an ancient family connection to help ensure loyalty.

“Does this mean in a worst case scenario, he could inherit?” Cor asked.

“Theoretically, the Ring could accept him,” Regis admitted. “I think I need to meet him before the ceremony, if he has magic of his own then the standard oath and gifting of magic may not go like others. Better to know in advance and work something out.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry hung up and collapsed back on his bed, he’d done it, he’d been accepted into the Kingsglaive. He pulled out his notebook and finished writing the long letter he’d been working on before pulling the pages free and sending them into the Armiger for Gilgamesh, along with a history book he thought he’d enjoy.

He’d been working hard to learn as much about modern Eos and the last two thousand years of history as possible. Of course, history is written by the victors, he’d seen that clearly in every wizarding history book and the ‘goblin rebellions’, even back in primary school. The idea that the Empire was following in Solheim’s footsteps did not feel right at all and it seemed that they really were the ‘bad guys’ in conquering other nations. So fighting against them wouldn’t bother him. after six years of war, he wasn’t scared of fighting and killing, despite Dumbledore’s disappointment in him for it but as he’d told the man if he’d had the guts to do it the first time then they wouldn’t have had such horrible odds in the second war, it may not have happened at all.

He nearly jumped when someone knocked. “Coming!” he called, assuming it was Nyx or one of the others so finding the man from the camp was a surprise. He never actually had heard his name that day. “Hello?”

“Mr Peverell,” he greeted formally.

“I uh, never actually got your name that day,” Harry admitted and his visitor blinked but stepped inside the tiny apartment.

“Marshal Cor Leonis,” he introduced and Harry’s eyes went wide.

“Oh. Right, nice to meet you. What can I do for you Marshal?”

“Congratulations on making the Glaive.”

“You visit all new recruits to the Glaive when you’re in charge of the Guard?” Harry asked even as he went to the tiny kitchenette to put away the dry dishes. “Can I get you something?”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“No, thank you,” Cor answered, glancing around. This was considered an apartment? It was a tiny room that barely fit a bed and built in desk, with a ‘kitchen’ that consisted of a small fridge, a hotplate and sink. There was a doorway hung with a curtain that he assumed, hoped, led to a bathroom. It was smaller than any barrack…any cell, he’d ever stayed in. He knew the refugee situation was far from ideal but he hadn’t realised it was quite this bad.

“So why are you here Marshal?”

“To deliver an invitation, the King wishes to see you,” Cor answered, watching green eyes go wide with shock.

“What?” that squawk was kind of amusing and reminded him of some other teens he knew. “I…I mean, why me, Sir?”

Cor smothered a laugh at his reaction. “Does the King need a reason to summon one of his men?”

That got a blink and then cheeks going red. “Umm, no? Okay, now? Or when?”

Cor pulled a bag out and tossed it to him and Harry caught it without hesitation, showing off the good eye hand coordination that had gotten a mention in his assessment, if the glaive used firearms they’d be pushing him towards them. “Get changed Glaive,” he smirked and Harry opened the bag to reveal a Kingsglaive uniform.

“Right, back in a few minutes.” He slipped behind the curtain and Cor heard the sound of water running as he obviously washed up quickly. He heard a bang and a muttered curse.

Cor looked around a little more from where he was leaning against the wall, seeing some handmade blankets on the bed, some books now piled on the tiny desk, history from what he could see. The room was already gaining personality which was a good sign he was settling in. He looked up as Harry came back out, hopping on one foot as he tried to get the boots on.

“I think I got it right?” He held his arms out and turned slowly.

“Looks good, let’s go.”

“Right,” he grabbed his key and wallet and followed Cor from the apartment and then building to where a car was waiting. It was good to find he didn’t fidget at all during the drive, watching the city around them. He parked in the garage and got out, Harry following him. “Hood up,” he ordered and Harry obeyed, taking a second to fix it comfortably, hiding his face. Cor led him up through the Citadel, no one looking twice at them. He knocked on the door to Regis’ study and entered, Harry following him and he nodded so Harry put his hood back down, standing at pretty good attention for someone without military training.

“Your Majesty, Harry Peverell,” Cor announced.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was confused and a little concerned to being called in by the King but all he could do was follow Cor. He lowered his hood and stood at attention, copying how he’d seen the other Glaive stand before the Captain. He then got his first look at Uncle Somnus’ descendant, King Regis. He looked, older than the age given by the books but apparently all of the rulers aged before their time. The Crystal, the Wall, something to do with the magic? He’d seen the looks he’d gotten, seen pictures of Regis, but seeing it in person was a surprise. They really did look a lot alike, he looked more like Regis than he did either of his own parents individually which was kind of amusing.

“Please, take a seat Glaive Peverell,” Regis told him, pointing at one of the chairs before his desk so Harry sat down, hands folded in his lap. “I apologise for the somewhat cloak and dagger method of getting you here but I needed to speak with you before your swearing in ceremony.” The King offered him a tablet and Harry took it, finding his own file there, with a section highlighted.

He read it and blinked, reading it again before going white. “Oh,” he whispered…there went staying under the radar.

_TBC…_


	8. ch8

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 8**

Clarus watched the young man as he scanned his own medical record, seeing green eyes go wide, blinking, before obviously re-reading the relevant note.

“Oh,” Peverell whispered.

He appeared genuinely shocked by the information which was a good sign. There was always the chance he was a plant, that the Empire had found a child who looked like a Lucis Caelum and run their own tests, found he really was a relative and then sent him as a spy or assassin.

“What…what does this mean?” he looked up at them, a bit bewildered looking.

Regis leant forward slightly, meeting his eyes. “It means that no matter how distant the link is, you are related to the Royal family, which makes you family. Anyone related carries that marker, just like those related to the Oracle carry a different genetic marker. Mr Peverell…may I call you Harry?” Regis asked and the teen nodded, not that Clarus thought he’d say no, when the King asked to use your name who would deny him?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Harry, this part of your file is restricted, no one will know unless told. Either way, you are a member of this family. Over the centuries our family has shrunk as less and less children have been born. This is dangerous, especially during war,” Regis told him and Harry nodded.

“The right kind of attack could easily end the line… you’re not suggesting I could…aren’t I too distantly related?” green eyes were wide in disbelief, glancing between them.

“It is a possibility and part of why I called for you. If you have any magical ability of your own then the gifting of my magic my react oddly, I suppose you could say.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Okay, that made sense. The last thing he needed was his magic reacting to the Kings’ badly or even just strangely but…could he trust the man enough to give up his secrets? He thought about it but…no, he did not know enough of him, only what others thought and what was in the records. But he could give something. “I guess it’s magic?” he offered as if unsure. “I can, hide things I guess?”

“Hide things?” Leonis asked, looking interested.

Harry absently wondered if a certain portrait was around, it would give them a solid idea who he was related to. “I can show you?”

“Please do,” the King smiled kindly so Harry summoned Gryffindor’s sword, seeing three pairs of eyes go wide.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor barely kept his jaw form dropping or eyes from widening as he saw a sword appear in a familiar manner…except he had never seen the power of Kings be gold before. The blade was rather decorative, an heirloom rather than practical perhaps? A glance at Regis and Clarus showed they were just as shocked as he was by the display, they had thought maybe he could make curatives or a small elemental spell…but the Armiger?

“You have access to the Armiger,” Regis finally spoke.

“What’s that?”

“I suppose you could call it a pocket made from magic, able to store almost anything though I doubt anyone has been crazy enough to attempt to store anything sentient within it,” Regis explained, summoning a bottle of water.

“Okay, so I could store all my things there, not just the sword?” he asked and Regis nodded.

“May I see the sword?” his King asked and Peverell hesitated before handing it over carefully.

“Don’t touch the blade, it’s poisoned,” he warned and Regis stiffened slightly at the warning, being very careful.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The blade was well made, of a metal he didn’t recognise at first glance but then he frowned, it couldn’t actually be silver, could it? The intricate cross-shaped hilt was inset with one large gemstone (a ruby?) as well as some smaller ones. Down the blade was engraved a name, Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor…there was something about that name. he handed the blade back and it vanished in the same golden light and that was something else to ponder, everything he knew of the family magics said they were always shades of blue, maybe purple or even whitish, but gold? He scanned the bookshelf and removed a very ancient tome.

“Regis?” Clarus asked.

“The name on the sword looks familiar,” he answered absently, opening the book at the beginning, scanning down the lists of names in the genealogy. They were faded, almost illegible, but he followed the line before the Founder King and there it was. “Leonis Gryffindor married into the Lucis Caelum two hundred years before the time of the Mystic,” he announced out loud since the book was heavily protected by magic and only the Royal Line could read it….he turned the book towards Peverell and he looked at the page curiously, a finger hovering over Leonis’ name, more proof of his relation. “You can read it,” he asked to be sure and Harry nodded.

“Why?” he asked and Regis smiled, reminded a little of his son in the curiosity there, back when Noctis was younger anyway.

“The book can only be read by those of our blood.”

“Ah, okay.” He sat back down. “Does it really matter? If I’m related so far back how can it be important? Even if both you and the Prince died, there’s no way anyone would want me to inherit, there must be closer relations.”

Most people would be excited to be related to Royalty and the idea that perhaps they could inherit and yet he was reluctant to even consider it. With the Prophecy…if Noctis fulfilled it before having children of their own then at least a branch of their family could live on. He glanced down at the Ring on his finger and then stretched his hand out between them, seeing Cor and Clarus straighten up.

“Do not touch it, just hold your hand above it as close as possible without contact,” Regis told him and Harry nodded, removing his uniform glove to hold his hand over the Ring. It glowed, magic wrapping around both of their hands.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Lucii stirred as they detected the presence near the Ring…magic reaching out to the intruder though it was obvious Regis still wore the Ring.

“He is worthy,” the Mystic intoned, shocking the rest. “Harry James Lucis Caelum is worthy of our power, after all, I could hardly deny my nephew.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry felt the power reach out for him, cold and bright and….wrong…and then he felt him, Uncle Somnus, reaching back to the man instinctively, his eyes flashing gold without his notice, but the others in the room saw.

_‘Worthy,’_ whispered through his mind, the voice familiar. _‘Little Healer.’_

_‘Uncle,’_ Harry answered. He focused his mind to let his Uncle know what was going on and that he really didn’t want anyone to know the truth, the name he was using and felt Somnus’ agreement.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis saw Harry’s eyes flash gold like his magic, felt the shift in the Ring… _‘Worthy,’_ he heard in the mystics voice and it was a relief to hear. His tone though…it was unlike anything he had ever heard from the first King of Lucis. Almost…fond? Loving? He could tell Harry heard him too and then the Glaive pulled his hand back, breathing heavily, hands trembling slightly.

“Regis,” Clarus pointed at the book and…a line appearing from Leonis’ name, running beside the list of his own family.

It travelled a while with nothing before the name Godric Gryffindor appeared, the name Ignotus Peverell appeared parallel to the Gryffindor line but even further back than Leonis’ name, Linfred of Stinchcombe, then Iolanthe Peverell….there were lots of blanks in the line, gaps, which was interesting. The family magic had trouble reading the line due to how long ago they split maybe? There were Peverell’s, Potter’s, Black’s…all the way down to Bellona Peverell and then her son Harry.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was relieved to see only a scattered, partial family tree. He just knew, if the truth came out then it would finish filling out and reveal his adoption by Ardyn and relation to Somnus because then it wouldn’t matter. He wondered if the King knew his ancestors could mess with the magic Harry could feel woven into the book. Was that why Uncle Somnus’ name appeared alone? Why wasn’t his Dad listed in any way? Especially since the name Harry James Lucis Caelum was clearly listed. He swore mentally when his attention made Regis looked but the King smiled.

“It appears Harry is a family name.”

“What do you mean?” Lord Amicitia asked.

“I never really paid much attention, but the Founder had a…nephew by the look of it. One Harry James Lucis Caelum,” Regis answered.

“So likely someone in your family was aware of the link,” Leonis looked at Harry who shrugged.

“Mum never talked about any of it, her family or Dad.” He really hated lying so much but the idea of people knowing he was that Harry kind of freaked him out.

“Well, the Lucii have accepted you, which means you could wear the Ring if necessary.”

“Okay…so you’re not allowed to die before me,” Harry said firmly and Cor actually snorted slightly. “No one else knows, right? We can keep it a secret.”

“Why wouldn’t you want to be recognised as a member of the family?” Amicitia asked, eyeing him.

“Why would I want that? The idea that I have people I’m related to is kind of nice but…being royalty? I’m guessing there’s a lot that comes with that and why would you want to admit I’m a relation? I’m just an orphan refugee from Galahd and it’s clear what people think of us. Little more than savages, you don’t need to be linked to that.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Clarus had suffered more shocks today than he had in a long time. The idea this boy…young man, didn’t want to go public was inconceivable. So many people would kill to be in his position. Yet he seemed honest in his not wanting the recognition. “Well, we have to pull you from the Glaive at least.”

“Why?”

“Recognised or not, you look like a Lucis Caelum enough to get too much attention, if Niflheim got a sample of your blood they may be able to track that you are one and then you will have a target on your back. The Ring accepted you which means you are an heir to the Throne if not the direct one, to have you fighting on the front lines is madness.”

“Wait, hold on!” the teen held his hands up. “I can’t just quit the day I got accepted, that’d raise way too many questions. Plus, I kind of need the job to pay rent and stuff. I didn’t go through days of torture to back out now.”

Clarus wondered just what Titus put the possible recruits through for him to call it torture. “We can find you a position within the Citadel. Perhaps claim you didn’t react favourable to the King’s magic?”

“No, too many questions would be asked if he had to use magic later,” Regis shook his head. “Perhaps…”

“What about claiming a semi-truth?” Leonis asked and they all looked at him. “Instead of related to you, we say he’s related to someone else. He could nominally remain in the Glaive but on assignment in the Citadel, or even transfer to the Guard.”

“Doing what?” Clarus asked curiously.

“Noctis still struggles with the Armiger,” Regis suggested, glancing to the wary teen. “How would you feel about being named as a tutor to my son?”

He looked…rather bewildered by it all and Clarus felt a little guilty, it was a lot to take in all at once. However, they did need to deal with it all before the young…prince?...left. It had been a long time since even a distant relative had been known, what title would he bear, especially since the Ring accepted him as a possible heir.

They should have frozen his application as soon as the medical results came up, it would have been easier to keep him out of view if he hadn’t already been accepted into the Glaive. Even reassigning him would bring attention since no accepted Glaive had ever been, especially one who would definitely be good at magic.

“We could make him a Leonis cousin, a transfer into the Guard would almost be expected then so that Cor can look after his baby cousin. It would also be a reason for him to be seen close to all of our families.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor hadn’t expected that but it made sense. He took after his mother in looks but Harry’s darker hair was more common in the Leonis line. He glanced at Harry, seeing the wary confusion. He felt a flash of guilt, here they were, discussing him like Harry wasn’t present and didn’t get a say in his own future. Yes, he needed to be protected but they couldn’t lock him in a gilded cage. He was Galahdan and he had dealt with enough of the Glaive to know they did not take well to inactivity or being trapped in the city for long periods.

It would be easy enough to fake his file and the dates could actually work, he’d had an Uncle who left Insomnia about two years before Harry’s birth and he hadn’t been heard from since. That would explain his interest in the kid, as well as Clarus and Regis’s since their like of interfering in his life was well known in the Citadel.

“Harry?” he called and green eyes focused on him. “I had an Uncle who left the city two years before you were born, it would be easy enough to say you are his son. This would enable me to personally train you without too many questions. You would either transfer to the Guard or remain a Glaive but assigned to us. You would mostly be stationed in the Citadel but the occasional mission outside of the Wall could be arranged too.”

“Cor…”

“He’s Galahdan, Regis. We can’t lock him behind the Wall permanently,” Cor pointed out. “Besides, if the Ring accepted him, shouldn’t he go on the traditional Pilgrimage? In more secrecy and likely more spread out than normal but he should still do it.”

“Pilgrimage?” Harry spoke up.

“The traditional journey to gather the weapons of our ancestors,” Regis sighed. “And Cor is right, you should complete it even if you do so gradually. There are twelve Royal Arms said to still exist, however we don’t know the locations for all of them. One is also the Trident of the Oracle and inaccessible.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was obvious that with his relation to the Crown, he wouldn’t be able to just hide away. He knew it made sense, they were at war, having a ‘spare’ was smart. If the King’s wife hadn’t died so early the Prince would likely have at least one sibling and he’d be off the hook. Why did fate hate him so much that he could never have a plan work right or anything? Yeah, he kept surviving the so-called un-survivable but still, it’d be nice to have something go to plan just once. He just knew his Uncle was laughing at him in the afterlife, after all, he had to have something to do with the very vague family list that had appeared in the book.

So which did he chose? Glaives or Guard?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor drove silently through the city, glancing at his new ‘cousin’ from the corner of his eye occasionally. The younger male was watching the city around them though he didn’t think Harry was really seeing it. They’d really dumped a lot of information on him and taken some of his choices which he knew they all felt bad about. Honestly, he hadn’t expected the Lucii to react so strongly to someone so distantly related. Was it because of Noctis? The kid was only seventeen, too young yet to marry and have children…was the Prophecy to come to pass before he did? Maybe they just found him interesting, who could tell?

At least he didn’t have to tell Titus he was stealing his most promising recruit from him, not that he knew that since he didn’t know Harry had his own magic but still. Remaining with the Glaive would have been better for magical training, he had access to Regis’ magic but a lot of his people didn’t, or if they did it was only the ability to store their weapons away. He would have to oversee that part of his training personally though he thought Regis may try to help as well. And there was still the idea of Harry helping Noctis with his Armiger access, they could have Noctis brush up his own basic elemental skills by having him teach Harry in return.

How would Noctis take having a new family member? Regis was going to tell him but only him. The kid wouldn’t like keeping it secret from his friends but sometimes a King had to keep things to himself so it’d be good practice.

He pulled up in front of Harry’s building, staring at it. He had the feeling that trying to get him to move into the Citadel or at least closer would not end well. His new position would come with a higher pay check than the Glaive received, something he didn’t personally agree with but couldn’t change, maybe he’d at least consider a bigger apartment?

“Thanks,” Harry offered tiredly.

“I’ll see you tomorrow 0800. Use your Glaive id to access the Citadel, we will sort out uniforms and the like then.”

“Okay,” he nodded and reached for the door handle.

Cor hesitated, trying to think of something to say but in the end he watched the kid…the prince….leave the car and head inside.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stripped out of his uniform and collapsed on his bed. He was exhausted! By now his file would list Corrin Leonis as his Dad and someone would be telling the Captain that he was being transferred into the Crownsguard. Maybe it would have been better to agree to be publicly known as the King’s very distant cousin after all? Too late now. He groaned but summoned pen and paper, writing to Gilgamesh on how his well thought out plan had already been ruined, knowing he’d get a kick out of it and the Shield really needed more things to laugh about…even if it was at his expense.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Nyx knocked on the door to Harry’s apartment and the younger male soon opened it, he looked tired but healthy…and wearing a Crownsguard Uniform? The Captain had been cranky the last few days and then Nyx had realised he hadn’t seen Harry anywhere, now he was thinking the two might be connected. “Harry?”

“I was transferred,” he admitted, flopping down on his bed.

“Why?”

“Because the medical tests figured out who my Dad was and it was decided since that technically makes me a citizen of Insomnia, plus having a relative in the guard already, that it’d be better for me to join him in the Guard.”

Nyx stared with wide eyes. “You found family?” that was good, right?

“It’ll be all over the Citadel soon so might as well tell you. Turns out Cor Leonis had an Uncle,” Harry shrugged.

“You’re relate to the Marshal?”

“Apparently. Which also apparently makes me a possible target, another reason for the transfer. Though I still took the Oaths so I get to learn magic as well.”

“And they’re okay with everything,” he touched his own braids and Harry nodded, waving a hand at his uniform.

“There’s a reason I chose a uniform option that isn’t a suit, well several really but I’d look really weird with braids in one.”

He had a point there. “We’ll miss you in the Glaive.”

“Thanks. At least they aren’t trying to make me move into the Citadel or anything.”

“They aren’t?”

“Nope, apparently Cor vetoed that as a bad idea. He also made sure I will get the occasional mission beyond the Wall. Seems he knows enough of us to realise locking me in the city would drive me nuts.”

Nyx chuckled though he was surprised the Marshal had realised that their people did not like being in the city all the time. Then again, he was one of the few who never seemed to look down on them.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry checked the address on his phone and then spotted the Guards stationed causally around the building, yep, he had the right place. He had to admit, if there was one thing he really liked about the Guard over Glaive, it was the individuality of their uniforms. They were all made from the same protective materials but so long as they were black and bore the subtle skulls and the insignia of the Guard somewhere the design was pretty much up to the wearer.

Cor worked the suit well, as did his second, Monica. Harry and suits did not go together, especially with his longer hair and braids. His uniform was black cargo pants, boots, a short sleeve shirt in dark grey, and a black jacket. The shirt and jacket helped make it look a bit dressier but there was no way he was wearing slacks when he was meant to wear his uniform for training and combat.

He saw one of the Guards eyes widen as he was recognised. Barely a week and already word was spreading about the Immortals cousin. He ignored them and walked into the building, hitting the correct floor button in the elevator. He stepped out and nearly fell back in, hands moving quickly to brace the person who’d hit him even as he shifted to catch himself as well. He found himself looking down into startled blue eyes even as he took in a breath to apologise, freezing…..that scent….he blinked, feeling Pen itch beneath his skin in reaction, clamping down on the urge to change forms. He forced himself to focus on human senses, taking in the crazy style of bright blonde hair and the school uniform, recognising him from the files he’d been shown by Cor on those who had access to the Prince’s apartment. This was Prompto Argentum, his best friend….who smelt of Solheim ruins and MT’s.

_TBC…_

_I don’t like a lot of the interactions as written for Regis’ office but just can’t get it all to go how I really wanted. It feels choppy and kind of all over the place to me but after several re-writes this is as good as it wants to get._

_Can anyone guess what Pen may be an abbreviation of, Harry form is dragonesque remember._


	9. ch9

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_I summoned Leviathan from a puddle! Not sure how that happened. Seriously, the only water around was this little puddle, I figured it’d summon Garuda like normal and then she showed up to drown the enemy._

**Chapter 9**

Prompto left Noct’s apartment, not sure what to do now. Usually, he spent the weekends with his best friend, but he had some new tutor that he would be working with this weekend. He understood his training was important and would never want to get in the way of it, he just hated going home to an empty house. He heard the ding of the elevator up ahead and put on some speed to catch it only to trip over his own feet, hitting something solid, firm hands grabbing him, shifting and steadying them both. He felt his cheeks go red in embarrassment, looking up into the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. Yeah, if he could just die on the spot that’d be great.

“Are you okay?” the stranger asked.

“Uh, yeah, sorry,” he offered stepping back. He glanced down, seeing the black clothing marked with subtle skull designs, a Crownsguard?

“No harm done Mr Argentum.”

It was weird, having someone who looked about his age calling him that. He hadn’t realised there were members of the Guard that young outside of Iggy and Gladio, but they were special cases as Noct’s Retainers. He turned at the sound of a door opening down the hall, sighing as Ignis left the apartment, great now he’d see the clutz attack.

“Prompto? Is everything alright?” Ignis called as he approached. “Ah, you must be Crownsguard Peverell. His Highness is in the apartment,” Ignis offered, sounding….stiffer than normal.

“Thank you,” Guard Peverell nodded. “Nice meeting you both.”

Prompto followed Ignis into the elevator. “So who was that?”

“The newest member of the Crownsguard, Harry Peverell. A refugee from Galahd who arrived with the newest group. He originally joined the Kingsglaive but the standard medical revealed that he is related to the Marshal, so he was transferred. He’s been assigned to work with Noctis on his training.”

“Oh.” Was he even allowed to know that much?! Then again, the Marshal having family would be big news and no way could it be kept secret.

“Would you like a lift home?”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. See ya later Iggy!” Prompto waved and left the apartment building.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis sighed as first Prompto and then Ignis left. He honestly didn’t know what to think. He had a ….cousin? They were so distantly related and yet the Lucii approved of him, did that mean…he could be King instead of Noctis? He hated lying to the others, but his Dad had made it clear, no one was to know who Peverell really was. They were hiding him as Cor’s cousin to explain any ‘special treatment’. He was a year older so at least they were close in age? Would they have anything in common though? He’d grown up in Galahd, was living in the refugee sector and apparently refusing to move to ‘better’ accommodations. Noctis volunteered in some of the refugee areas and he didn’t think there was anything wrong with them, other than the shoddily built housing. They were real communities and sometimes he wondered what it’d be like to live somewhere like that, to have neighbours who treated you like family, where everyone pitched in.

Had Peverell even wanted to come to Insomnia? It wasn’t like he’d known he was family.

He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration….right as someone knocked on the door. He took a deep breath and stood, walking over to open the door. Standing there was another teenager with hair just as dark as his own but eyes even greener than his Dad’s, dressed in Crownsguard black.

He bowed, braids falling forward as he did. “Crownsguard Harry Peverell, your Highness.”

Noctis nodded and let him into the apartment, locking the door behind him. “So…” he shifted, uncertain what to say after the very formal greeting but then his cousin relaxed and offered a small smile and his hand.

“Hi, so apparently we’re related.”

Noctis relaxed at that but he was confused, and it must have shown.

“There’s surveillance in the hall, better safe than sorry. I’m Harry,” he offered and Noctis reached to accept the handshake.

“Noctis. Do you want anything? Ignis left snacks and drinks.” Iggy would kill him if he didn’t offer refreshments to a guest.

“Only if you’re having something.”

He nodded and headed for the kitchen, Harry following him. They got some snacks and soda and Noctis decided to sit on the couch to try and not let things become formal. He’d never had family outside of his Dad and he wasn’t really sure what he was meant to do.

“I’m not going to bite.”

He looked up at the words and teasing tone to find Harry watching him as he munched on some chips. “I uh…”

Harry leant forward, making eye contact. “This is new for both of us, I thought I had no family, that I’d never learn anything about my Dad’s side. The Royal family has continued to shrink over the centuries until only one child is being born per generation and it seems your Mother’s family isn’t around either.”

“Why don’t you want to be known as family?” Noctis asked and listened as Harry explained. He wasn’t big on talking but Harry somehow made it easier. They spent hours asking questions and exchanging stories but eventually Harry needed to go.

“We’ve got a training room booked for every Wednesday after school. I’ll see you then, but you can call whenever. I’ll be out of the city occasionally, but I’ll let you know before I go.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry lay in his bed, not quite ready to sleep yet. Tomorrow, he’d be facing Cor in a sparring match because the man wanted to see what he could do for himself. So far, he’d been learning about the Crownsguard and what they did. They weren’t a strictly combat orientated division like the Glaive so there was a lot to learn. They were more like the Aurors of the Magical world or one of the MI departments in the non-magical world maybe, they weren’t just an army or something.

Meeting Noctis had gone well, once they got over the initial awkwardness. It had been surprising to see he looked quite a bit like Uncle Somnus when Harry had first met him, despite there being two thousand years between them, but genetics could be weird like that. He didn’t like making things up or changing things to keep his secret, but he wasn’t ready to just up and tell anyone. Gil agreed with him though the tone of his note had been rather amused over exactly how long he’d managed to keep his relation to the Royal family a secret.

He seemed like a rather typical teenager to Harry which was good, it was heartening to see that he had managed to live his own life to some extent. He went to a public school, had his own apartment away from the Citadel, and even a part-time job. Not even the British Royal children worked while at school so the King really was doing everything he could to give Noctis a normal childhood. He wasn’t neglecting to learn what he’d need to be King one day either, he didn’t envy him trying to balance all that out.

The blond boy…Prompto Argentum…that scent was unmistakable but how? He looked fully human, nothing like an MT and he hadn’t sensed any trace of the Scourge within him. What was he? Did the King know? Did Noctis? Did Prompto? Was he a spy or assassin waiting for the right time? He could be a sleeper agent and not even know it. There were way too many questions and only one way to get the answers. He’d have to find out where Argentum lived and then make a trip one night to see what he could learn. If the boy was a threat…he’d do what he had to. Depending on what he found, hopefully nothing too drastic would have to be done.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was easy to fall into the pattern of days learning the ropes and training with different members of the Guard, working with Noctis every Wednesday, and then using what little free time he had to explore the city or read more.

So waking one morning three weeks later to a message saying to pack a bag for a four day trip was a surprise. He messaged Noctis to cancel their training session the next day and then packed what he thought he’d need, making sure to have extra supplies in the Armiger just in case.

When he arrived at the Citadel he found Cor waiting for him, following him to the waiting beat up looking car. The way the engine purred when it was started proved the appearance was the only bit about it that was old and worn. “Where are we going?” he asked as they drove into the city.

“The Prairie Outpost north of the Three Valleys, it’s a Hunter Outpost. There are two Royal Tombs just beyond but there’s also an Imperial Base nearby so we’re sneaking passed, the Hunters won’t give us away.”

“Right, tombs,” Harry murmured. He’d talked with Regis about them once since their first meeting. Thankfully, Somnus’ Tomb was considered lost so there would be no need to try and fake gaining the blade there.

“Nervous?” Cor asked as they cleared the checkpoints.

“Maybe?” he shrugged slightly. “Not really of the tombs, they’re the same ones that are in the Ring right? And it accepted me.”

“The tombs have denied Royals their powers before, but no one has ever been harmed,” Cor assured him.

Between the Rings acceptance and Uncle Somnus speaking for him, he very much doubted he’d have any trouble claiming the Arms. “Why are the Tombs so spread out?”

“Kings or Queens used to be buried in the lands they claimed for the Kingdom. It is said the Mystic’s Tomb was originally within Insomnia but vanished one day, no one now knows where it is. The last several generations have all been buried within the city walls.”

“One hundred and twelve rulers, so why so few Arms?”

“We don’t know why some weapons become Royal Arms and others don’t. King Mors never favoured a particular weapon and hadn’t fought in years, perhaps that is why he does not have an Arm.”

Harry nodded, that made as much sense as anything else. When the sun began to set they parked and walked to the nearby Haven, setting up camp and Harry cooked a simple meal.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor unlocked the doors and stepped back to allow the young Prince within. The Tomb of the Wise was the best to start with, the Conqueror’s was within the old mine which was filled with daemons these days. Regis had decided that since the Lucii accepted him, Harry’s title should also be Prince as he could inherit. Though whether he’d told him yet…

He stayed back, keeping an eye on the path for safety, as Harry approached the sarcophagus. He took an obvious deep breath before holding his hand out over the weapon and Cor’s head snapped around again, eyes scanning the canyon as he heard something. By the time he looked back the light was fading around Harry who was rubbing his chest.

“That was…disconcerting,” the teen admitted, and Cor smirked slightly.

“Let’s move, we need to be in and out of the mine before nightfall,” he said and Harry nodded, following him out.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry lay in his sleeping bag, staring up at the tent. He really did not like daemons, they had been one thing he definitely hadn’t missed while back on Earth. Goblins were nasty little things but the almost spider-like lady ones….well they always brought up memories of the weeks prior to his leaving Earth the first time, though thankfully they didn’t speak, unlike Aragog.

He now officially had two of the Royal Arms plus one unofficial one, which he was trying to find a way to keep from appearing when he gained a new one. So far, Cor had been distracted into looking away, the first time by Harry magically knocking some rocks aside and the second time by a legitimate daemon attack in the mine. who put a Tomb in a mine?

Cor wasn’t the most talkative of companions, but he’d managed to get a few stories out of him on Regis’ Pilgrimage and even Noctis when he was little. He’d even managed to glimpse Argentum’s address in his memory when he mentioned how they’d met. He could finally check up on him and see what was going on there once back in the city. He kind of missed travelling by Chocobo like he had with his Dad when they left the city, but the car was faster, if limited to sticking to roads.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis checked his phone and grinned at the message, Harry and Cor were back from their ‘mission’. Which meant training was back on for the coming Wednesday. The more time he spent working with Harry, the more he liked his cousin. He didn’t try to suck up to him like so many did and why would he? The guy had turned down any public acknowledgment of being related to them. He had no reason to try and get on Noct’s good side or anything. He was serious in training, but he also made things fun where possible. He really listened too if Noctis talked. Maybe one day, when Noctis was King, Harry would be his Cor?

He shook those thoughts off and went back to his homework, wanting it all done before Prompto came over for the weekend.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry slipped into the house, silent and unseen, looking around curiously. The master bedroom was empty and had been for some time, although there were still personal belongings present. Argentum was seventeen, old enough to be left home alone for a while but this felt…like their absence was the norm and not an occasional thing.

He found Argentum in the second bedroom, sprawled all over his bed, fast asleep, and a little magic ensured he would stay that way. Pendragon stirred and Harry knew his eyes had shifted, giving him night vision so that no one would see an out of place light from the room. He glanced around, seeing photos and posters everywhere, camera equipment stored carefully. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, rolling Argentum onto his back, placing a hand on his chest and reaching out with his magic to take a deeper look. He hoped for Noctis’ sake, he found nothing.

_TBC…._


	10. ch10

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 10**

Harry let his magic flow into the young man on the bed, sinking deep into his body and mind. Argentum moaned softly in his sleep, head rolling on the pillow but thanks to the sleeping spell he couldn’t wake up. Harry blinked and looked at the younger male before closing his eyes, okay then, that definitely hadn’t been a moan of pain. He first focused healing magic into his body, scanning for any sign of the Scourge, relieved to find nothing.

He then began scanning his body, finding something in his right wrist and upper arm and something just behind his left ear. He encased all three in magic to be safe for the moment, scanning them fully to go over later, before focusing on the dreaming mind, looking for his memories. His Dad had never had an equivalent of the mind arts and technically, Harry had never learnt them. He’d flat out refused when Dumbledore had tried to suggest he learn from Snape.

He’d turned to Poppy to learn the healing magics of his first home, taking what was useful and adding it to what he knew. Then he’d turned to his Godfather and the other remaining Marauder to learn magical combat. Finding out he had a Godfather who had spent almost all of Harry’s life in prison when innocent…well, the Ministry had not been happy when he was done. He had learnt statecraft at the knee of an Oracle and candidates for King, Fudge and his toady had been nothing compared to a ballroom of Nobles.

It had been harder with Remus; the man had been totally absent from his life until his return from Eos. He’d made no attempt to contact him or even check on him. even if he was worried about the werewolf thing, Remus spent time in the non-magical world, he could use a phone or call or even walk past him on the street to make sure he was okay, and he had done none of that. They’d eventually worked things out, combat training had been a great way to work through his anger at the man.

It had been them to teach him the basics of the mind arts, letting Harry then experiment. He did better when he didn’t know the rules, they limited creativity. If you didn’t know something was impossible then often it could be done. Apparently his way of viewing thoughts and memories was one of those things that everyone ‘knew’ was ‘impossible’.

Argentum had no mental defences, nothing to even slow Harry down. He went back as far as possible, finding vague images and emotions; images of tanks, cells, cold, sterile room, all of it tinged with fear. Moving forward he began to see rows of tiny children, heads shorn, skin pale, and their eyes…he felt sick, hit by waves of remembered fear and anxiety. A new memory appeared, of lying in a hard metal pod, trying to sleep, and then it had opened, and a man was leaning over…a man Harry recognised despite the fact he was considerably younger in the memory, it was Cor.

He looked shocked but then he slowly reached down, the memory feeling of fear growing but then turning to confusion when there was no pain, a warm hand brushing against the child’s cheek. Harry could see the sorrow in Cor’s eyes as he stared at the boy within the pod. To Cor’s obvious surprise, and Harry’s, Argentum reached up for Cor and the man responded, reaching into the pod to remove the monitoring equipment before carefully picking the boy up, bringing him to his chest.

_‘It’s alright, I won’t hurt you,’_ Cor whispered, a flash of blue magic and then he was wrapping a child sized black jacket around him, obviously one of Noctis’. It was also apparent that the boy didn’t understand the words, but clung to him, shaking.

The escape from the facility was remembered in flashes of fighting and hiding, running and then a train and boat. Cor spent the whole trip, coaxing the child into learning to eat solid food and not the nutrient mix the facility fed them while teaching him to speak Lucian. The underweight, pale, child soldier, blossomed under his care, becoming the young man Harry had run into in that hallway. Cor even named him Prompto. Then there was the Citadel, medical tests, the fear returning, Cor sometimes there, sometimes gone. A new man who watched him from a distance and Harry could see the sorrow in Regis’ eyes at what the Empire was doing to children.

A full memory solidified, Cor sitting on the bed, drawing Prompto into his lap. Now a healthy weight, his hair grown out some, he looked to be maybe five? Prompto cuddled against him, clinging, and Cor gently rubbed his back. Harry listened as Cor explained that Prompto would be leaving, that there was a family who wanted a child but couldn’t have their own, that he would live with them as their son. Prompto was obviously confused, scared, but he trusted Cor.

The memories continued, meeting a man and woman, being given their name, Argentum. They were a real family at first but as the years passed they were present less and less in his memories. He watched Prompto gain weight as he struggled to feed himself properly, falling back on take out and sweets. Watching him see Noctis for the first time, seeing how lonely the Prince was, the small hope that maybe they could be friends and then they wouldn’t be lonely, their first meeting and how it almost crushed Prompto. His finding the Oracle’s dog and her letter to him, then the years of pushing himself to get better, to loose the weight. Harry smiled as Prompto introduced himself to Noctis on the first day of high school, how they became inseparable, best friends. He saw their own first meeting, Prompto’s embarrassment over colliding, his thoughts on Harry’s eyes, Ignis Scientia explaining who Harry was…he pulled out after that.

He had what he wanted; Prompto wasn’t a sleeper agent or spy. He may have been made to be an MT, but thanks to Cor he’d been spared that fate. Harry took a deep breath and then picked up a limp arm, pushing back his sleeve to see the stark black lines of his barcode, rubbing his thumb over it. Prompto sighed in his sleep, fingers curling around his wrist, seeking human contact. He reached out and ran his fingers through soft blond hair, Prompto pressing into his touch. No, he wasn’t dangerous.

“Sleep well,” he whispered before vanishing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Gladio looked up, seeing Noctis walking down the hall with Cor’s cousin, the two talking softly. He honestly wasn’t sure what he thought of the new Crownsguard. He was serving as a tutor for Noctis and it did make sense, the more varied teachers he had the better. It was strange how quickly he had become trusted, yes, he was the Marshal’s family, but he had grown up in Imperial held Galahd with no idea of his heritage. Yet there had been no hesitation in leaving him alone with Noct, so what did they know that hadn’t been shared? His Dad definitely knew something about Peverell, something that seemed to confuse him a little, but he still trusted him.

It was obvious that the guys immediate bonding with Noct had Prompto a little on edge, worried for his place in his life. After two years of friendship, the blond was still uncertain of his place in Noctis’ life, and some of that was because Noctis sucked at talking about emotions. The other part was Prompto’s lack of self-esteem which Gladio blamed on absent parents and the snide remarks he’d overheard once when picking them up about Prompto’s heritage. Prompto had passed the Citadel security checks so Gladio wasn’t worried about him being a Niff by birth. He’d lived in Insomnia since he was a kid, no way would the Empire send such a young spy or something. Cor himself had passed the blond.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry flicked through the pages of information, wishing he knew more about Solheim Magitek, to see how this differed. He wasn’t an engineer of any kind, but he’d picked up a few things in exploring the ruins with his Dad. He’d also worked to get to know Earth’s technology better when not swamped by training. This was still well beyond his level to do a lot with.

He was ninety eight percent sure that the barcode was mainly benign, a simple identification code that Niff tech could scan. Easier for the scientist than naming the thousands of children they made, made them less likely to see the poor things as human too. So long as Argentum didn’t come into contact with something that could scan it, then he’d be fine.

The one in his upper arm seemed to be a port of some kind, designed to take something in, though he didn’t know what. The one he was worried about was the one behind his ear, that seemed set up to not only transmit, but receive. His first impulse was to remove it, but the brain and spine were very delicate structures, far too easy to damage and the implant was tied into both. It could also be set to self-destruct if tampered with, he wouldn’t put it passed them. For now it was fine, his magic ensuring all of them would remain dormant. He’d just have to check the shields every now and then to make sure they remained in place.

The lack of Scourge was good, but why did he smell like them then? Surely those three things weren’t enough to affect his scent? He’d lived in Insomnia long enough that the scents he picked up at the facility should have faded. Had they all missed something about him? Or was it something in the process of how he had been born that left a permanent mark on his scent.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Titus saw Peverell walking with several other Crownsguard, laughing and chatting. Finding out the boy was Leonis’ cousin was a surprise. Losing him from the Glaive had not been good, he had shown a high affinity for the Lucian magic, something he could have used. As an orphan with few ties he would have been a good candidate to lure away from any loyalty to Lucis. Turning the Immortal’s cousin would have been quite the feather in his cap if the boy had remained in the Glaive. He’d had no way to argue his transfer though, he had pointed out that Peverell would be the only Galahdan in the Guard but that hadn’t been enough, and he’d been allowed to keep his braids and beads.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto grinned at Noct as they left the school, seeing the waiting car. He slowed when he spotted the person leaning against it, Harry Peverell. He’d thought Noct was free for the weekend, they’d been planning games and movies, with homework to keep Iggy happy.

“Harry?” Noctis called and Harry bowed.

“Just playing chauffer,” he assured them, nodding to Prompto who offered a small smile in return. “Scientia had to stay back for some class meeting or something.” He opened the back door for them, and they climbed in. Peverell got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Your apartment?” he asked.

“Yeah, thanks Harry.”

“No problem, this gets me out of paperwork,” he flashed them a grin and Prompto found himself snickering. “Good day at school?” he pulled away from the school and into traffic.

“Not bad,” Prompto offered when Noctis didn’t seem like he was going to answer, proud of himself for not getting tongue tied for once. There was just something about him that always had him tripping over his own feet and finding it hard to say anything.

Finding out he was Cor’s cousin had been a shock, Cor had never talked about family. Then again Cor didn’t talk a lot about himself the few times he’d seen him since his adoption. He didn’t remember a lot before Cor had appeared in his life, more feelings than anything; being terrified and cold all the time, voices shouting, the pain of needles, the pitch black of the sleeping pod…then Cor had been there, the first touch that hadn’t hurt. He could remember reaching for him, just wanting something that didn’t hurt, he hadn’t understood a word Cor said but he’d felt safe with him and he had been.

Cor had been his rock in a world of confusion, the only reason he hadn’t gone insane locked away in the medical ward when they’d arrived in Insomnia, undergoing test after test. He didn’t remember a lot from that time, he’d been too scared by all the strangers, his Lucian not good enough to understand a lot of what was said. Looking back though, he thought the King himself had been there at least once.

It hadn’t been just Noct’s comment that time that had him holding back from approaching him again for so long. He’d been scared that he wouldn’t be allowed to be his friend, that the King wouldn’t want him around his son. Of course, looking back, if that were the case then he never would have been attending the same school as him. Still, approaching Noct on the first day of high school had been utterly nerve wracking. Though meeting Ignis and Gladio may have been even scarier.

Now there was Harry Peverell, slipping easily into Cor and Noct’s lives and yeah, it scared him. Peverell was everything he wasn’t, what if they liked him better and forgot about Prompto? Maybe it was silly, but he couldn’t help feeling it.

“Got a fun weekend planned or is it all homework?”

“Both,” Noct shrugged, looking out the window. “HARRY!” he yelled and Prompto felt Noct’s magic fill the air even as Noctis shoved himself towards him.

The car went into a spin as Harry wrenched the wheel around and Prompto shoved himself into the corner, grabbing Noct to pull him closer, a weak shield forming around them as the other car skidded ever closer. He shut his eyes, not wanting to see. The sound of metal hitting metal was loud, the car moving with the impact but…Prompto opened his eyes and stared at the solid, golden, shield around them. But Noct’s magic was blue…

“Noctis?!”

“Here,” Noctis panted, body rigid in Prompto’s arms. “Prom? You okay?”

“I…I think so?” he couldn’t….what had…

“Don’t try to move you two.”

“Harry?” Noct called.

“Stay till I’m sure it’s safe.” There was the sound of shoving, shattering crystal…magic and then the car rocked a bit.

They….they’d been hit…

“Prom? Hey, come on, breath,” he heard Noct’s voice faintly. He felt Noct moving, struggling with something, and then they were face to face. “Look at me Prompto, you need to breath.”

Wasn’t he breathing? Shaking hands ran over his body and he shivered.

“You’re not hurt,” Noct sounded really relieved. “You need to calm down, we’re okay. Just breath with me.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry could hear Prompto’s gasping breath but Noctis had it under control, he had to keep the two boys safe. He braced and kicked his door, using magic to give his kick the extra oomph needed to force the door open. He got out and looked around, seeing the gawking bystanders and the other car, its horn blaring. He hit the emergency signal on his phone and summoned a sword before approaching the vehicle. While it wasn’t likely an assassination attempt, he still needed to be on guard. His shield spell would keep the boys safe while he investigated, though he hoped he could drop it before too many people noticed since the colour would give away that it wasn’t the Prince’s magic.

“Crownsguard! Back up!” he yelled to the onlookers who obeyed, whispers breaking out over who might be in the car. He glanced into the car, seeing the driver slumped over the wheel, blood pouring from a head wound. He got his phone out as it rang. “We got hit by a car. The boys are shielded, other driver needs an ambulance,” he said as soon as he picked up.

“Assassination or accident?” Cor asked.

“Looks like an accident at the moment but…”

“Nearest Guards are on the way already. Keep the boys with you until we’re sure.”

“Understood,” he hung up and shoved his sword into the door, using it as a lever to force it open, swearing softly when he couldn’t find a pulse.

He could hear sirens approaching and moved back to their car. He knocked on Prompto’s door and Noctis shifted to hold him so Harry could open it. As soon as Harry had the door open he dropped the shield and Noctis released Prompto’s seatbelt, the two of them getting the blond out of the car. Noctis scrambled out after him, crouching down, letting the bulk of the car act as a shield in case of snipers. Harry checked Prompto over, taking in his gasping breaths, wide eyes, and too pale skin. He couldn’t detect any injuries, so it had to be shock. “There’s a blanket under the front passenger seat,” he told Noctis who yanked the door open and grabbed it, wrapping it around Prompto’s shoulders.

“Shock?” he asked, and Harry nodded.

“How’s your back?” he asked, knowing it was Noctis’ weak point, and the Prince grimaced slightly.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Nyx looked over as Crowe touched her ear piece, listening to someone.

“Understood,” she said and then looked at him. “We’re being diverted to an accident downtown.”

“Why us? That’s Crownsguard duty,” Libertus called.

“It’s the Prince’s car,” she answered grimly.

“Step on it Tredd!” Nyx called and the van sped up, the emergency siren coming on as they all held on.

“Any status info?” Nyx asked her.

“No mention of fatalities yet.”

That was a relief, if the Prince died…no, he wasn’t going to think about that.

With the siren going, cars got out of their way, but it was still mid-afternoon traffic. By the time they reached the site, an ambulance was already there, pulling someone from a car. the piled out of the van, spreading out, Pelna and Sonitus warping up to watch their back just in case. Nyx and Crowe made straight for the wrecked Crownsguard car, seeing the damage on the driver’s side. They moved around it to find the Prince crouched down, half supporting his friend who was shaking badly and glassy eyed.

“Harry,” Nyx was surprised to see the other Galahdan, but the younger male looked up at him in relief, patting Prompto’s shoulder before standing.   
  


“Nyx,” he managed a small smile.

“What happened?” he asked, glancing around.

“Looks like he ran a red light, hit us right in the side. No…the Prince saw it, threw up a shaky shield and got himself as far over to the passenger side as possible as it hit. Managed to kick my door out, hit the emergency signal, and checked the other car since they were safe in the shield, driver didn’t have a pulse. Cor called then, he sent the ambulance and there’s meant to be more Crownsguard coming. I got them out of the car to do a more in depth check. Prompto’s in shock and the Prince’s back is paining him.”

“We were on the way back in from a mission, sounds like the Guard are stuck in traffic,” Crowe explained as she knelt beside the two teens. “Hey there Blondie, how’re you doing?”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He couldn’t stop shaking, struggling not to gasp for air. It was so stupid; he wasn’t even hurt! It was nothing compared to the pain he remembered as a kid. He could feel Noctis’ arm around him, pressing his ear to his chest, telling him to breath with him, could see Crowe’s worried look and passed her to Harry who’s green eyes were dark with worry too. He was starting to see blackspots and he knew that wasn’t good.

Harry knelt in front of him again, warm hands holding his head steady. “It’s alright Prompto, look at me. You’re okay,” he murmured and Prompto found himself staring into green eyes, unable to look away. He felt strange, like he was floating, the fear fading…he took a deep breath, then another, and another. “That’s it, you’re doing wonderfully,” he praised and slowly the world came back into proper focus, Prompto blinking in confusion. He felt fingers running through his hair and knew it was Noct, Noct who was holding him up.

“Prom?” Noctis asked.

“M’here,” he mumbled, exhausted.

“Car’s here, lets move,” Nyx said and then Prompto felt himself being hauled to his feet, wavering. He felt an arm go around his waist and realised Harry was supporting him even as Crowe and Nyx took either side of Noctis to protect him as they made the run to the waiting car.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis sat on the bed, arms crossed, annoyed. He barely had some bruises from where his seatbelt had dug in when he’d moved further than it technically reached to get to Prompto’s side of the car. So far, everyone thought it had been his shaky shield that had saved them all and Prompto had been too out of it to be questioned. His best friend knew his magic though, knew his magic was blue, and there had been only one other person in the car. they’d have to tell him something but what? He glanced at the bed where Prompto was fast asleep under a heated blanket, still looking too pale as far as Noctis was concerned.

The door opened and Noctis relaxed as his Dad entered, Cor and Harry with him. “Dad,” he whispered and then he was in his Dad’s arms and he hugged back tight, fighting the urge to cry which was just silly cause he hadn’t been hurt. It was a car accident, something that could happen to anyone.

“Noctis,” his Dad whispered, relief and love clear in his voice.

“I’m okay,” he was, he was, and he was not going to cry.

_TBC…_


	11. ch11

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 11**

Regis held Noctis close as his son gave in and cried. When Cor had rung to say the boy’s car had been hit…for a second he had feared the worst, that he had lost his son. His reaction wasn’t surprising, a car accident was very different to an assassination attempt; you could fight an assassin, you couldn’t fight a car.

He glanced up to find Cor, sitting on the edge of young Prompto’s bed, checking on him. Regis knew Cor had done his best to remain in the boy’s life after the adoption, though he hadn’t always managed. Cor had been upset but had accepted the truth when his petition to adopt Prompto had been knocked back, at that point he’d simply been out in the field too much to provide a stable home. Then again, from what he’d heard Noctis rant about, it sounded like the Argentum’s were home even less.

Harry was leaning against the wall, watching them all, and Regis hated the lie they were living, that he was Cor’s cousin and not Regis’. He was unable to spend any real time with the younger man, to get to know him the way he wished. Though he was glad that Noctis was bonding well with him, that had been one of his major concerns. He was hoping that Harry would find a place with Noctis’ friends as well, but that would take more time. That accident could have taken his whole family from him…he had to find a way to spend more time with Noctis and to get to know Harry better.

He wasn’t at all surprised when Noctis fell asleep in his arms, the stress, fear and pain medication knocking him out.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He didn’t want to wake up, he was warm and comfortable, and there was a gentle hand in his hair, petting it. Had he stayed at Noct’s? The hand stopped and he made a noise, vaguely hearing a chuckle before it was back.

“Awake kid?” a familiar voice asked and Prompto groaned but slowly forced his eyes open, blinking up at Cor. “Welcome back, how do you feel?”

What? He blearily looked around; the place only vaguely familiar…from when he was little. “Cor?” he was in the Citadel medical facilities, somewhere he hadn’t been since being adopted.

“Do you remember what happened?” he asked gently and that really worried him.

He tried to sit up and Cor helped him, lifting the head of the bed. Prompto looked around and blanched as he saw the King on the next bed, Noctis in his arms, and a man near the wall…Harry. He gasped, looking back to Noctis again, eyes wide.

“Easy Prompto,” Cor murmured. “Everyone’s safe,” he promised and Prompto slumped, trusting him. He’d always trusted Cor.

“We…were hit?” he asked croakily, just to be sure and Cor nodded.

“You’ve all been checked for injuries and cleared. They had you on oxygen for a little to help your breathing so your mouth might be dry. If you’re hot we can take some of the blankets off too,” Cor explained. He offered a cup and Prompto took it, sucking on the ice chips inside.

“Is Noct okay?” he asked, looking over and the King smiled at him, running his hand over Noctis’ back.

“Just some bruising from the seatbelt and his back is paining him. He fell asleep a few minutes ago.”

“Oh.” He looked at Harry who smiled at him.

“I’m fine,” the older teen told him, moving away from the wall and over to his bed. “You had us worried,” Harry admitted, reaching out to pat his shoulder gently.

Prompto went red, ashamed by how he had reacted to the accident. Considering what he’d been through as a kid, even if he barely remembered most of it, the accident had been nothing. Noct hadn’t panicked like he had, and Harry was only a year older than them.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor knew Prompto was embarrassed by the panic attack, at having done nothing to help. No one was mad though, Prompto was for all intents and purposes a civilian teenager. What childhood training he’d received had not been geared towards car accidents and he knew Prompto remembered little of the training, at least consciously. Now and then he’d do something that surprised himself, like the first time he’d picked up one of those game control guns at the arcade and nearly broken the high score record.

If Prompto hadn’t befriended Noctis then his being raised as a civilian would have been good, the life he deserved. By befriending Noctis and sticking with him, it was putting Prompto right back into a life of potential danger and violence. If Cor had adopted him, he’d be ready for that life. He knew Noctis had wanted to shelter Prompto from the realities of Royal life, but it wasn’t possible anymore. All evidence pointed to the accident being just that, an accident. The next time they may not be so lucky and would be facing a group of assassins. If Prompto froze then he could get them all killed. And once they were out of school, Noctis would have less and less time for the kid. If they wanted to stay close then Prompto would need to seriously start considering joining the Crownsguard. Noctis obviously wanted him to take the final position in his Retinue after all.

Before anything more could be said, a doctor entered to check Prompto over since he was awake, finding him well enough to be released.

“For tonight at least, it would be best for you to remain in the Citadel, Mr Argentum,” Regis spoke and Prompto stiffened, staring at the King with wide eyes. Not surprising since he’d never stayed the night before. Since his adoption he’d seen very little of the Citadel which frustrated Noctis.

“He’s right kid, just while we’re investigating,” Cor told him.

“He can stay with me,” Harry offered, and Cor was relieved his ‘cousin’ realised they would want him to remain close as well. Everything pointed at it being an accident but until they wrapped it up, it was better to be safe than sorry with the two Royals. That was why Harry had quarters in the Citadel near Ignis and Gladio’s rather than close to Cor’s own, that area was better defended than where his were.

“Oh…I can go home, really,” Prompto argued.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry shook his head and put a hand on his shoulder. “Relax, I’ve got a guestroom. You’ll be just a corridor away from Scientia as well.” He didn’t feel like he knew them well enough to use their first names just yet. He knew they weren’t entirely comfortable with his presence yet and he didn’t blame them.

“Go on kid, get some food and sleep in a better bed. Hopefully this will all be done in a day or two,” Cor told the blond who sighed and got up, stumbling slightly and Harry steadied him.

“Noct?”

“Will return to his rooms when he wakes,” Regis answered, smiling softly. “I am sure he will be happy to see you in the morning.”

That got a snicker from Prompto. “Maybe lunch?” he suggested, and they all chuckled, Noctis’ dislike of mornings was very well known.

They said their goodbyes and Harry led Prompto to his citadel quarters, which he’d used exactly once since being given them. He preferred his apartment, despite his years living with his Dad and Uncle he still preferred a much more informal and less fancy place to live.

“I know it’s pretty basic, I’ve only used the place once, I prefer my apartment in Little Galahd,” Harry told him as he let him inside. He went to the small kitchen and got out two cans of soup and some frozen bread, glad he’d stocked up on some basics. He could order from the kitchens, but he didn’t think Prompto would be feeling too hungry after everything.

“Harry?”

“Yes Prompto?”

“That shield…it was gold. Noct’s magic is blue.”

Harry looked over at the nervous teen and nodded. “Yeah, it is,” he agreed, serving the soup on mugs. “I took the Oath like a Glaive,” he gave the lie. “It’s why I work with Noct, he’s been helping me with the basics, and I’ve been helping him with the Armiger because for some reason I find storing things very easy.”

,,,,,,,,,,,

“Oh,” Prompto was surprised by the answer but also confused.

He’d seen several of the Glaive train and all of their magic was a shade of blue, well some edged towards purple, but still none of them had such a different colour. So why did Harry? Was it to do with being a Leonis maybe? No…he’d seen Cor summon his sword before and it was nothing like that golden colour either.

He looked down at his mug and forced himself to drink the soup, he didn’t feel very hungry, but he knew he needed to eat after everything that had happened.

“So, Noct says you’re really good at arcade games, ever thought of trying the real thing?”

“What?” he stared at Harry in confusion. He wasn’t suggesting what it sounded like he was, was he? That would never be allowed! He knew how close it had been just letting him go to the same school as Noctis and then when they’d become friends... no matter how friendly the King was, there was no way he’d let Prompto near a gun.

“You’ve never tried the shooting range? Granted, most Lucian’s aren’t keen on guns, more likely to use a crossbow, but there are those who use them,” Harry shrugged.

“Can you?”

“Yeah, learnt with a crossbow first. Didn’t pick up firearms till a few years ago,” Harry explained and Prompto found himself leaning in, wanting to know more.

Harry grinned and told him about the first time he’d used a sword and then how he’d taken to a crossbow since he’d been a pretty small kid. He’d hunted since it had just been him and his Mum and she’d kept them fairly isolated from the village. Prompto thought that was very unfair on Harry, so what if his Dad had been from Insomnia? Galahd was still technically part of Lucis if everywhere on the mainland still counted despite being pretty much under Imperial control. Hearing about Galahd was really interesting, he hadn’t left Insomnia since being brought to the city by Cor and his memories of Niflheim were vague and highly unpleasant.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry found himself enjoying talking with Prompto, glad that he had checked out the memories of a lot of the Galahdan refugees so that he could make it sound like he’d really grown up there. In exchange, Prompto could be gently nudged into sharing what it was like growing up in the city. It seemed like that until he’d become friends with Noctis, Prompto’s childhood had been as lonely as his own pre-Hogwarts, though thankfully his family was just absent and not like the Dursley’s. Yes, he’d checked Prompto’s memories, but he’d purposely not kept those memories, that would have been too great an invasion. Other than the information on his implants and some of the training he’d gone through, Harry hadn’t kept anything, so it was like he was hearing it all for the first time.

When Prompto began to lag, obviously tired, Harry showed him to the second bedroom and leant him a t-shirt and some sweatpants to sleep in. “Thanks,” Prompto yawned and Harry nodded.

“Sleep well, if you need anything just knock,” Harry told him before going to his own room and changing before going to bed. The day had not gone at all how it had been planned but the three of them were alive and unharmed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis stared out the window, secure in the knowledge that Noctis was safe in his own bed, Ignis at his side. Harry was also safe in his Citadel quarters with young Prompto in his spare room. There was no danger and yet… he sighed and went to his desk to read the report again. Noctis had managed a barrier, though a shaky one that collapsed rather quickly, had that been due to his work with Harry? He had hoped that his working with Harry to teach him would help Noctis’ own magic skills and it seemed to be effective.

Harry had created a far more stable one that had protected them during the crash, his training was definitely coming along well. He needed to find the time to work with his cousin personally at some point, on top of spending some time with both boys. He didn’t want Harry thinking his only interest in him was for his magic, he was family and family was important. Eighteen or not, he was still a teenager, it was part of why he hadn’t wanted to agree with Cor on sending him out to fight.

Once things settled down, he would need to send Harry off to get the next Royal Arm, probably the Shield of the Just as there was real risk to it, the Tomb was in a clearing and therefore the least dangerous. Best to get the easy and close Arms done first.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis winced as he slowly got out of bed, leg dragging a little. Looked like he’d wrenched his back worse than he’d thought. Most of the afternoon was a blur thanks to the painkillers but obviously he’d been released back to his rooms at some point. He smiled when he found clean, comfortable, clothes laid out in the bathroom for him, obviously Iggy was around. He got in a shower as hot as he could stand it, letting the water pound into his back for a while before washing and then getting dressed.

He found Ignis out in the main room, reading something on his tablet, probably reports from the crash or something. “Hey,” he called and Ignis looked up immediately.

“Noct,” he stood and moved towards him. “How do you feel?”

He wanted to just say fine but Ignis was clearly worried. “Little groggy and achy,” he admitted.

Ignis looked him over and then wrapped an arm around his waist, taking the weight off his bad leg on the way to the couch. “Hungry?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Ignis got him settled and then went to the kitchenette, returning with a tray of soup and fresh bread. “Shall I call Prompto? He stayed the night with Peverell.”

“You can call him Harry you know, he’s younger than you,” Noctis told him, the soup wasn’t as good as Ignis’ but he thought Ignis was a better cook than anyone else. “Is Prom okay?”

“Exhausted from what the Marshal said, not surprising considering…”

“Hey, I’m okay, we’re all okay. It was just an accident,” he reached out and took Ignis’ hand, squeezing it. he knew Ignis, he’d be blaming himself for not being there, for somehow not foreseeing a random car accident.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor looked up at the knock on his partially open door, waving Harry into his office, the teen closing the door behind him. It had been two weeks since the accident and all three boys were fine, thankfully, although Ignis and Gladio were hovering very protectively over Noctis and Prompto. Since he’d managed to pull off a barrier they’d increased Harry’s magical training, bring in Altius since she was the best Mage among the Glaive. Poor kid had very little free time now, but he seemed to be thriving under the pressure. “Hey kid,” he greeted, waving to the seat in front of his desk and Harry dropped into it.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Cor was there to help after all. It was expected that Harry come to him with any questions since they were family.

“It’s about Prompto,” Harry told him and that worried Cor a little. “It seems to me like Noctis wants him in his Retinue, so I was just curious about why he hasn’t had any training? Even if that isn’t the plan, shouldn’t he at least be taught to escape and evade since he’s Noctis’ best friend?”

Cor bit back a sigh, Harry was right, Prompto should have received at least some very basic training. “You’re correct, Noctis does want Prompto to take the position. He’s even mentioned it but Prompto thought he was joking and Noctis hasn’t felt comfortable bringing it up again. He’s also been very good at dodging invitations to join Noctis in the training rooms.”

“Any reason Noctis and I can’t drag him along to one of our sessions? I can teach the basics and I’m sure Noctis can too.”

“If you can do that I am sure all the boys will be grateful,” Cor assured him. He knew Prompto was worried about some buried training or something but against two Lucis Caelum? He didn’t see any risk, especially if they were working on hand to hand skills.

“Any idea why he’s so…” Harry shrugged, obviously not sure how to word it and Cor hesitated.

“Prompto wasn’t just Noctis’ first friend, Noctis was his too. With his looks, well, people can be cruel.”

That got a grimace. “So self-esteem is in the basement. He said he was adopted as a little kid, even if he is originally from the Empire, taking it out on him is wrong. The anti-immigrant attitude is bad enough, but the way refugees are treated is worse. I’m guessing being friends with Noctis hasn’t stopped it? People saying he shouldn’t be near him and things like that?”

Cor nodded, there was only so much they could to protect Prompto without starting rumours that could hurt the kid even more.

“Okay. I’ll give picking them up from school another go and drag them to training, that way he can’t escape.”

Cor chuckled. “Have fun with that.”

,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis looked up and smiled as Harry was let in, joining him at the small dining table. He’d had dinner with Noctis the night before last and he’d managed to arrange lunch with Harry. Hopefully, next week he’d be able to get together with both his son and cousin at the same time.

_TBC…_


	12. ch12

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 12**

Harry swung and Noctis ducked, lunging in and Harry parried easily, grinning at the younger male. “Better.”

Noctis nodded and shifted his stance. Training with Harry was different than working with anyone else. He had a scary ability to predict his moves and counter them or simply not be there when Noctis expected the bow to connect. It wasn’t phasing or warping, just pure speed. He liked the change from Gladio’s sheer strength, making Harry his preferred sparring partner between the two, pity Harry was often too busy.

Harry eventually called an end to the session and they sat on the benches after stretching to cool down, drinking water. “I was talking with Cor the other week, you want Prompto to join your Retinue?” he asked and Noctis straightened slightly but nodded. “You’re free tomorrow after school, does he have anything on?”

“No, he doesn’t work tomorrow,” Noctis answered, wondering where Harry was going with the questions.

“So if I picked you both up from school and brought you back here for training, firearms to make things different…” he trailed off with a grin and Noctis blinked before laughing.

“Sneaky but maybe it’ll work. I…I hate the fact being my friend puts him in danger but at least if he could fight…”

“He’d stand a chance if something happens,” Harry finished for him and Noctis nodded. “We’ll get him trained if I have to drag him kicking and screaming,” he promised.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto waved as he spotted Harry waiting for them, slipping into the car with Noct.

“Have a good day?” Harry asked as he pulled away from the school.

“It’s school, is there such a thing as a good day?” Noctis complained.

“Last day of term?” Prompto offered with a grin.

“Graduation day,” Noctis countered.

Prompto said nothing as the car turned towards the Citadel rather than the apartment, the King and Cor had fixed his clearance so that he could move around pretty freely, it meant that he could go back with Noct and hang out in his rooms while Noctis was in a meeting and then they could spend time together. “Meeting?” he asked and Noct shook his head.

“Training, you can be my cheering squad, I need it against Harry.”

Prompto glanced between his best friend and his newest friend, at least, he thought they were friends after the whole staying in his rooms thing.

Harry glanced at him in the rear-view mirror, smiling. “It’ll be fun, you can laugh when Noctis falls on his royal backside.”

Prompto laughed as Noctis grumbled about no respect. “Okay,” he agreed, watching them wouldn’t cause any harm. He missed the pleased looks the two exchanged at how easily he agreed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry ran through some Armiger exercises with Noctis, happy with the way he had improved since Harry had started working with him. It let Noct show off a bit for Prompto, getting him more used to seeing magic used. Unlike the rest of them, he hadn’t grown up around it after all, not that they knew Harry had. Harry nodded and Noctis sighed, stretching and wandering over to the bench Prompto was watching them from.

“Done already?” the blond sounded surprised.

“Just with this bit,” Noctis answered him. “Come on, we’re switching rooms,” Noctis offered Prompto a hand, hauling him to his feet.

Harry finished cleaning up and they left, heading for the firing range. While very few people in Insomnia used guns, the Guard did train with them to get a hang of the basics which was why there was a firing range in the Citadel. Harry swiped his id card and opened the door to let them inside.

Prompto froze just inside the door, looking around with wide eyes. Harry gently nudged him forward and out of the doorway so he could get in as well, shutting the door behind himself. “A firing range?” Prompto asked, sounding a little confused and…wary?

“Yeah, for crossbows and guns,” Noctis tugged him over to the wall where there was a bench for gear to be left on. Noctis dumped his bag and Prompto sat down, shifting nervously.

Harry offered him a smile, putting his own bag down, before going to the locked cabinet, opening it and withdrawing a standard handgun. “Okay, show me what you’ve got,” he put it on the table with some ammunition and Noctis mock groaned but got to work. Harry sat down beside Prompto to watch Noctis. Yeah…he definitely needed a lot more work with projectile weapons. “He this bad at the games?”

“Yep,” Prompto nodded, lips twitching in an effort not to smile.

“Want to show him how it’s done?” Harry offered and Prompto froze.

Wide blue eyes stared at him. “What?”

“Want to?” Harry indicated the cabinet of weapons and the other targets set up along the other side of the room.

“I…I’m not…it’s not allowed..” Prompto stammered and Harry reached out to clasp his shoulder.

“It is allowed, I double checked with Cor. In fact, it would make him happier if you did. It would be a relief to a lot of people.”

Prompto stared at him in what appeared to be disbelief. “It…would?”

“Of course. Your friends love you Prompto and they hate that by being your friend, they’re…we’re… putting you in danger. If there’s an attempt on Noctis, we’re bound to defend him no matter the cost,” he admitted quietly, seeing Prompto’s shy smile when he changed to including himself in those that saw the blond as a friend…and then Prompto paled slightly when he said no matter the cost.

“No one wants you to get hurt Prompto, we hate that you’re basically defenceless. Please, give training a chance?” he could tell why Prompto was hesitating, but he couldn’t say anything since he shouldn’t know the truth about the blond.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto stared at Harry, part of him wanting to tell him why it was a horrible idea. Who knew what programming was buried in his head? If he hurt Noct…or anyone, he’d never forgive himself. The thought of Noctis getting hurt trying to protect him or someone grabbing him and using him against Noctis…of making the others have to abandon him to protect Noctis…it made him feel sick.

He looked over at where Noctis was practising and took a deep breath before standing up. “Okay.”

Harry went and got him a gun and ammo. “Let’s see what you know already,” he offered and Prompto nodded shakily.

He put on the protective gear and checked the gun out before loading it. He glanced at Harry who nodded encouragingly so he took a deep breath and aimed at the target. He could do it, he could.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis paused in his target practice, putting the gun down, turning to look, and he grinned as he saw Prompto out shooting him. He met his cousins’ eye and Harry smirked at him. Okay, so his plan had worked where all else had failed. Seeing Prompto shoot, Noctis began mentally planning how to get him to realise he was serious about Prom joining the Crownsguard.

Before he could be caught watching and make Prompto nervous he went back to his own training.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor looked up as a rather pleased looking Harry walked into his office. The Prince placed what he was carrying down on his desk and Cor looked at the bullet holes in the targets, most of them in the bullseye, then the ones on the human shaped targets were all kill shots except one. “Prompto?” he asked, and Harry nodded.

“Took some explaining but he finally agreed to training. He can outshoot Noctis easily. I didn’t try shooting against him, but I’d guess it’d be close. Once he’s comfortable, I’ll move on to crossbows since they’re more common in the Guard. Hopefully he’ll agree to learning hand to hand and some form of closer range weapon, even if it’s just a knife as a backup.”

Cor nodded, it was a good plan, so long as they could get Prompto to go along with it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry walked into Regis’ office and the door shut behind him, his cousin looking up from his paperwork to smile.

“Harry, come, sit,” Regis motioned him forward, so he took a seat, waiting patiently for Regis to finish what he was working on. He eventually finished and set his pen aside, resting his arms on his desk. “How are you?”

“Good, busy with adding training Prompto into the schedule. Gladio and Ignis are helping there in coaxing him to take up hand to hand. Noctis is getting better too which is good.”

“Well, you’ll need to take a break. We have some time for Co to vanish for without anyone paying too much attention.”

“The next Tomb?”

Regis nodded and showed him a map with the Tombs they knew of marked on it. once that was done he sent for refreshments and they moved to the sofa to just talk. It was hard to find time to just talk and get to know each other, they were both very busy, Regis even more than he was, but it was nice.

They may say they were cousins, but it was kind of like having Sirius and Remus back, a more Uncle relationship. Didn’t stop him missing his Dad and Uncle Somnus but they were long gone.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cor sliced the throat of the last Coeurl and glanced over at the young Prince to find him hoping on one foot, his other boot the mouth of the feline he had just killed. Cor smothered a chuckle and whipped out his phone, taking a photo to send to Regis later. The kid was always so serious that Regis would love the photo, not that he didn’t have a reason for how he was.

Growing up with a single parent in Imperial controlled Galahd, with a foreign name, only to then risk everything to make it to Insomnia where he learnt he was related to the Lucis Caelum... maybe they needed to organise a week in Galdin for the kid, let him relax and unwind. Sooner or later, someone would work out the truth or it would be leaked, and Harry would only be safe within the Wall, just like Noctis, so he needed to make the most of his freedom to travel without being recognised while it lasted.

They walked the rest of the way up the path once Harry had his shoe back on, Cor smirking at the grumbling of the eldest Prince, and then he unlocked the Tomb, Harry slipping inside while Cor kept watch outside. He didn’t need to go inside with him, the first two Kings had accepted Harry after all. When Harry emerged Cor raised an eyebrow and the kid shook his head but obediently summoned the Shield of the Just.

“The Tall is next, right?” Harry asked as they began the trek back to the car.

“Yeah, another one out in the open, although there have been some rumours about the Tomb having been raided since Regis’ visit.”

“Raided?” Harry frowned. “But if the weapons react to a Lucis Caelum, how would anyone steal it? The Tomb’s still there, it’s not like it was destroyed, right?” he asked, and Cor nodded, wondering the same thing. “Well I guess we’ll know when we get there.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry moved into the silent Tomb, it felt different to the others…no magic. He glanced around at the broken statues and then the damaged sarcophagus. “It’s not here,” he said as Cor entered, blade in hand. “There’s no magic left here.” He spotted something and picked it up, finding a note in a messy scrawl. “Apparently the local hunters think it was taken by the daemons of Costlemark,” he handed the note to Cor.

“We aren’t tackling that,” Cor stated, and Harry shrugged. He doubted it was any worse than travelling the world before Havens existed, but he couldn’t exactly say that.

“Home then?”

“We don’t have enough time to reach any of the others before we’re missed,” he agreed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto grinned as he saw Harry leaning against the car, waiting for them. He’d been gone, off on a mission or something, and even Noct hadn’t known for sure when he’d be back. Harry saw them and lifted a hand in greeting and Prompto caught Noctis smiling at the older teen.

It had been scary and nerve wracking at first, but he knew now that he wasn’t going to lose Noct because he made a new friend. Besides, Harry was his friend now too. He was different to Ignis and Gladio, there was never any disapproval or exasperation, in his expression. He’d listen to him babble about absolutely nothing and like Noct there was always the feeling that he was really listening and not just humouring him. He was so patient too when it came to getting him to train, working with him when he surely had a lot of other, more important, things to do.

“Hey,” Harry greeted as they all got in the car.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Prompto grinned and Harry smiled at him.

“Thanks, me too. I definitely prefer having access to a proper shower.”

Prompto mock shuddered and Noct laughed. They chatted for the drive to Noct’s apartment and after a glance at him, Noctis invited Harry to join them for a game night. Harry texted the Citadel to let someone know about the car and followed them up since picking them up had been the end of his work day.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis opened the door to the training room and froze. “Dad?”

“Hello boys,” his Dad greeted as Harry nudged him into walking into the room. He wasn’t dressed in his normal suit but in more casual clothing and in his hand was a sword. “Care to show your old man how much you’ve improved?” he asked teasingly and Noctis looked at Harry who looked surprised as well but then he pushed Noctis towards his Dad.

“Have fun,” Harry walked to the benches and sat down to watch.

Noctis dropped his bag and took a deep breath, it was just his Dad... who he’d never actually seen fight. He summoned the Engine Blade and moved into position. All he had was stories about how his Dad fought and the very vague memories of…well, he barely remembered anything that had happened that night and the fire had made everything look strange. Mostly he remember his Dad screaming his name and the dark blue of his magic filling the air.

He shook the memories off and met his Dad’s eyes, seeing him smile before becoming serious.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry had been surprised to find Regis in the room and was glad they didn’t have Prompto with them, poor guy would have had a panic attack at the idea of the King training with them. He had the feeling that depending on how long the fight lasted, he would be next. It would be good to test himself against a family member even if he did need to hold back to keep his cover story.

He thought that maybe one day, he would be ready to tell Noctis, maybe even Regis, but not yet. Living with so many secrets sucked but he just couldn’t bring himself to tell them and risk everything he had now.

He grinned, laughing, when Noct pulled a move he’d taught him, taking Regis by surprise. The King smiled in pride at his son before launching into an attack that had Noctis on the defensive. He could see how much Noctis had improved in the last few months and thankfully the nerves at facing his own Father had faded, Noct giving his all to the fight.

The fight ended how they had all known it would, with Noctis on the ground, Regis’ blade to his throat. Noctis let his own sword fade back to the Armiger, panting. The King pulled his sword away and then offered his son a hand up. They joined Harry at the benches, Noctis collapsing beside him, happily accepting the water bottle Harry held out to him.

“Stretch,” Harry told him and Noct nodded tiredly. He looked at Regis who was winded but still ready to fight. He stood and stretched. “My turn?” he asked. “Or do you need a break old man?” he teased, hearing Noctis choke on his water even as Regis laughed, walking back to the middle of the room.

“I’ll say nice things at your funeral Harry,” Noctis finally offered as Harry moved to stand opposite Regis, summoning his sword.

“Show this ‘old man’ what you’ve got cousin,” Regis smirked, and Harry grinned back at him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis was happy with how well Noctis’ skills had improved. he was even happier that Harry was feeling secure enough in their family relationship to tease him, not that he wasn’t going to make him pay for the old man comment. He knew Harry would make him work for victory though, something he was looking forward to. Cor had told him of Harry’s skills and now he would get to test them himself.

_TBC…_


	13. ch13

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Anyone reading Blood Key, there’s a poll on my ffnet profile, please vote._

**Chapter 13**

Noct watched as his Dad and cousin faced each other, practically sitting on the edge of his seat. Watching them made him feel really…inadequate. He knew he was improving but seeing them made him realise just how much further he had to go. He cheered Harry on, but wasn’t surprised when Harry ended up pinned against the wall, a sword at his throat. Harry immediately dismissed his own blade, holding his hands up, his Dad backing off.

“That was great!” Noctis stood with a grin.

Harry had lasted longer than he had, his cousin panting even as he stretched. He offered him a potion but Harry shook his head. “I’m good.”

“That was very good,” his Dad praised “both of you. I’m very proud.”

“Dad…” he grumbled, ducking his head to hide the redness of his face.

“Awe…he’s blushing,” Harry teased, wrapping an arm around his neck, pulling him in close to ruffle his hair.

“Oh get off!” He yanked away, glaring at Harry before grinning.

“Go get cleaned up boys, then dinner.” His Dad nodded and picked up his cane, leaving them in the room, Noctis staring after him.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” he grinned at him. “Beat you to the showers.” He took off, hearing Harry laugh.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto lay sprawled on Noctis’ floor, flipping through a textbook, half studying. At the table Noct was working on something with Iggy, something official. He didn’t have clearance but it wasn’t like Noctis cared, besides, he was nowhere near it. If everyone had their way…he would eventually have the clearance to see it.

Harry and Noct had been sneaky about getting him to train with them but he’d eventually figured it out. Once Ignis had started talking etiquette with him in the kitchen, showing him knives and forks, that had been what had started clueing him in. He wasn’t sure what to think of it. the idea of him in Noct’s Retinue, a member of the Crownsguard, it seemed impossible to him. And yet someone had to have signed off on his access to the training room, even if he was with Noctis and Harry.

He was an enemy experiment, an incomplete MT, it had been shocking enough when he’d been allowed to attend the same school as Noct, to be his friend, but Retinue meant magic. The King would really allow him access to that?

There was a knock and then Harry walked in, looking down with a grin. “Comfy?”

“Yep,” he grinned back.

“Homework?” Harry dropped down on the couch after nodding to Noct and Iggy.

“Studying ahead for exams.”

“Want to go do something?”

“Like what?” he asked warily, and Harry laughed.

“No training, promise,” he offered and Prompto hesitated, looking at the textbook and then over to the others.

“Go have fun,” Noct told him.

“Okay,” he agreed, taking Harry’s offered hand when he stood, letting him pull him up. He grabbed his jacket, wallet, and shoes. “Bye.”

“Be back for dinner!” Ignis called after them.

“So where are we going?” he asked as they got in the elevator.

“Little Galahd, got invited to a gathering, and yes I checked, you’re welcome to come.” Harry slung his arm over Prompto’s shoulders and he found himself relaxing into his side. Harry felt…safe, the same way Noct had from the moment they met.

“You’re sure?” he asked cautiously.

Little Galahd was not an area he’d been to before, some of the Glaive watched him every time he went to the Citadel and he knew it was because of his looks. He’d considered dying his hair many times over the years but had never actually done it.

“Positive. Nyx Ulric said it’s fine, that you’re welcome. Why? Have any of the Glaive said or done something?” Harry asked in concern.

Prompto shook his head, glancing away, unable to help himself.

“Prompto?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It obviously is something,” Harry argued as they entered the garage.

Prompto blinked at the sight of a motorcycle. “Is that yours?” he asked in shock.

“Yeah, can’t always drive a company car. Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall,” Harry promised, holding out a helmet.

Prompto hesitated but then took it to put it on as Harry got on the bike, carefully getting on behind him. “Uh, where do I…”

“Around my waist, lean when I do, okay?”

“Yeah,” he carefully wrapped his arms around him, unable to help squeezing when the engine started.

“Easy,” Harry’s voice came through his helmet. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” he agreed. He held on tight as Harry began to drive, leaning with Harry as they turned onto the street. He’d never been on a motorcycle before and it was very different but he thought maybe he liked it. Being pressed against Harry’s back had him blushing, hoping he could calm down before the ride ended.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Nyx waved as he saw Harry enter the bar, a skinny blond kid plastered to his side, blue eyes wide…and wary. “Hey Harry, kid,” he greeted.

“Nyx, this is Prompto. Prompto this is Nyx, don’t believe half his war stories, the other half are true and crazy,” Harry told the teen who offered a hesitant smile.

Nyx had heard the muttering from some of the Glaive but the blond was the Prince’s best friend and he knew the kid now trained with Harry at least, he suspected the Prince and maybe the rest of his Retinue too. It was pretty easy to figure out who would be added as the final member which meant he would be a permanent fixture in the Citadel soon, so the quicker everyone got over it, the better. So what if his birth parents were Niff’s, the kid had been raised in Insomnia. There was no reason to treat him like the enemy.

“Drink?”

“Nothing alcoholic since I have to have us both back to the apartment for dinner,” Harry answered, brushing his braids back, and Nyx nodded, going to grab them both something to make sure it wasn’t tampered with or anything. Harry got looks too sometimes, now that his Father was known, and Nyx wouldn’t put it passed some to purposely get him drunk for kicks.

He watched as Crowe cornered the blond but soon had him talking hesitantly, getting him to relax a bit.

“Thanks for letting him come,” Harry murmured at his side. “Other than the Prince and his Retinue, Prompto’s very isolated. If he can at least get on cordial terms with some of the Glaive, or even non-Glaive it’d do him a world of good.

“Taken him under your wing?” Nyx teased, and Harry shrugged.

“He’s a great guy, he just has confidence issues.”

“How’s his training?”

“He’s an excellent shot, scarily accurate. I think video games should be added to the training schedule. Then again, they haven’t helped the Prince.”

They both chuckled at that.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto blushed as Crowe teased him but it was playful, not mean, and then some others joined them, Crowe making the introductions. He clutched the bottle of some kind of soda he’d never had before, he knew all the safety rules when it came to open drinks and he wasn’t going to risk going back to Noct’s tipsy. And he had no clue how he’d react to alcohol. He kept an awareness of where Harry was, knowing if there was trouble then he was his best ally.

He slowly relaxed as he was accepted or ignored but no one said anything bad or anything. He enjoyed listening to their stories, some were like Harry’s, of Galahd while others were of training or battles.

“Rumour has it, you’ve been seen in the training rooms with the Prince and wonder boy over there,” Crowe said a few hours later, and Prompto blushed slightly, he couldn’t help it.

“They let me watch,” he said and then bit back a grimace, that could be taken a lot of ways. He needed to be more careful what he said!

“Oh? Bet they’re very…energetic,” a Glaive leered, and Prompto stiffened.

“Back off,” Crowe warned the obviously tipsy man.

“Oh come on, everyone knows how close the Prince and his ‘friends’ are.”

“You’ve had enough Miles,” Ulric warned, hand gripping the smaller males shoulder tightly.

An argument began in what Prompto assumed was their native tongue, Harry moving in between Prompto and Miles. The whole place fell silent as Nyx growled something and Prompto saw Harry’s eyes go wide. The Glaive then approached, saying something, and Prompto froze when Harry motioned for him to remain where he was. He really wished he knew what Nyx was saying as the man pulled out a leather cord and then reached into a pouch on his hip. He swallowed as the Glaive reached around behind his head, feeling something settle in the hollow of his throat and then Nyx stepped back and Prompto glanced down to see the leather cord…with a bead threaded through it.

Harry then spoke up, head held high, grinning at Prompto who couldn’t help smiling back at him, even though he was still completely lost and in a minute, there was a second bead around his neck. As the place remained silent, Harry took his hand and pulled him away, back out to his bike, and they were soon heading away from the bar or whatever the place was. They hadn’t gone far before Harry parked and led him up a rather old building, unlocking a door and waving him inside.

Prompto walked in and froze, looking around, the place was tiny but…it was Harry’s apartment? It had to be cause that was the photo of the three of them that Cor had snapped a few weeks ago.

“I know it’s nothing fancy, but it’s home for now,” Harry said as he slumped on the bed, patting the mattress, and Prompto sat.

“Harry…” he fingered his new jewellery and Harry reached out to touch the beads.

“I’m sorry Prompto, no one thought someone would say stuff like that.”

“He was saying worse in Galahdan, wasn’t he?” he asked, and Harry nodded. “And Nyx?”

“Ripped him a new one and then basically adopted you,” he shrugged, and Prompto stared at him with very wide eyes.

“What?”

“Congratulations, you are now part of the Ulric Clan, which is all of you, Nyx and Crowe; and the Peverell, which is also just you and me.”

“But…you…he…” he stammered, feeling overwhelmed, and Harry squeezed his hand.

“The necklace is because your hair is too short to braid. But you have the right to grow out enough to braid if you want. You can learn the language and customs, you should really. If you don’t then it could be seen as you thinking its beneath you or something. I’m sorry it got sprung on you like that, and we’ll teach you everything you need to know, but…this does give you some extra protection. If anything ever happens, Galahd will speak for you, stand with you. The clans may argue amongst ourselves but we stand united against others,” Harry explained gently.

“You…adopted me?”

“It’s not like adopting a child, but a clan member.”

“Noct is never gonna believe this,” he groaned, and Harry laughed.

“Hey, now you’re related to Cor,” he smirked, and Prompto nodded dazedly…he’d always wanted that, but would Cor see it that way. “Are you okay with this Prompto? Nyx shouldn’t have just done it without even asking but things were getting tense. The Ulric are one of the most respected Clans, pretty much as close as we get to Royalty.”

“Not helping,” he moaned, leaning forward to put his head in his hands, only to relax as he felt fingers moving through his hair.

“It’ll be alright. Want me to privately kick Nyx’s ass for you in a spar for springing it on you like that?”

“You did too,” he pointed out.

“Well yeah, because it was a now or never kind of thing.”

“Oh,” he whispered.

The idea that Nyx and Harry would want to protect him enough to claim him as family…it was mind-blowing. He barely knew Nyx! And Harry…he bit back a groan…why could he never get a crush on someone he actually stood a chance with? He was Cor’s cousin! A magical prodigy, likely destined to one day take Cor’s place when Noct was King…he was just Prompto…a stolen Niff experiment.

“Hey, come on Prom, it’s okay,” Harry’s voice broke through his thoughts and he realised his breathing was hitching. “You’re okay, I’ve got you,” he murmured, gently tugging Prompto in to lean against his chest, ear over his steady heart. “Breath with me.”

He felt so stupid! He listened to Harry’s heart, working to match his breathing, even as he curled one hand in his uniform shirt, clinging on, not that Harry complained. They just sat there for what felt like forever.

“Do you want me to call Ignis and tell him we aren’t coming?” Harry eventually asked, and Prompto shook his head. “No one will be mad if you aren’t up to it.”

He shook his head again and then gentle fingers were carding through his hair, doing nothing to help the growing crush.

“Okay, we have to leave soon then. Go wash down with a cool cloth, I’ll get you a glass of water,” Harry told him.

Prompto forced himself to move, getting up and going into the tiny bathroom to wash his face. When he remerged Harry handed him a glass of water which he drank, unable to look him in the eye. Then a hand nudged his chin up and Harry grinned at him.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Should have seen me when I got called in to meet the King and company over my medical tests. Think Cor had a great laugh at my flailing in the bathroom to get my uniform on for the first time. There’s nothing wrong with feeling overwhelmed from time to time, just don’t be ashamed to ask for help, okay?” Harry stared at him, and Prompto managed to nod. “Okay, time to go.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry watched as Noctis studied the beads Prompto now wore around his neck. When Nyx had started the ceremony, Harry had been ready to hit him. Prompto had looked so lost, even scared, and he didn’t blame him, not like he’d been able to understand a word of it. Harry had jumped in as well, placing his protection on Prompto too because he cared about him. They were friends and he would do anything for a friend. Adopting him into his clan was nothing. Not like there’d been a clan until he had used magic to make the memories. He wondered how much worse the panic would have been if Prompto knew that Harry wasn’t related to Cor but Regis and Noctis.

When Prompto went to help Ignis with something, Noctis moved to lean beside him on the wall. “So…does this make Prom my cousin?” he whispered.

“Sorta? By adoption, he’s a member of the Peverell clan, not my kid or heir though.”

“Good, that would be really awkward.”

“Definitely,” Harry grinned.

“Harry?” Noctis bumped their shoulders gently. “Thanks, for protecting him. Will you tell Nyx too?”

“Sure. Though we didn’t do it for you.”

“I know,” Noct grinned and then went to bug Ignis about dessert.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis was really happy for Prompto, once the beads were explained. He did wonder if Prom would grow out enough hair for braids, even if he left the rest short. He thought it’d be a good look for him. The Argentum’s were terrible parents but now Prompto was getting more and more family, one that chose him and wanted him. Though…yeah, he was pretty sure Prom was crushing on Harry. That could end badly, though he didn’t believe his cousin would try to hurt Prompto or be mean about it. Who knew, maybe Harry would come to like him back and they could both be happy. Not like they didn’t get along great now.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto held his head high at school, even when someone recognised the beads as Galahdan and the whispers started. He was happy and proud that Nyx and Harry wanted him as part of their clans after a few days to take it all in. Harry had even begun teaching him the language already and Nyx had invited him over for other lessons the coming weekend.

He was glad Noctis was fine with it, excited for him even, telling him to take whatever time he needed with his new family members. Prompto was thankful for that, he knew the culture was very complicated and he didn’t want to do something wrong and shame them somehow.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Interesting jewellery Prompto’s wearing,” Cor commented as he faced off with his ‘nephew’.

Harry just grinned. “If he grows some hair out he can wear them traditionally.”

“Two Galahdan in the Crownsguard, whatever will we do?” Cor shot back, and Harry laughed.

“Has anyone told Prompto he’s joining up?”

“Well, as you are now one of his Clan Heads, I shall leave that up to you,” and then there was no more talking as their swords clashed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry lay in bed, one arm behind his head as he stared at the water stained ceiling. He wasn’t blind, he’d seen the looks Prompto gave him sometimes, the way his face would redden slightly. Prompto was at least attracted to him and honestly, he liked him. If he was who he said he was then he’d like to see if it could work, but with all the secrets? It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Especially the secret of his actual age, no, if he dated someone he couldn’t hide that or the fact his aging was rather wonky. Prompto had enough on his plate without dealing with his secrets.

Cor had mentioned leaving soon for another one of the Arms and Harry was relieved, he needed a break from the city. Noctis had other training to keep him occupied while they were gone, his group would be fine to work together even, Nyx could handle Prompto’s clan training too as long as he didn’t get deployed at the same time.

He was starting to consider, giving up at least one of his secrets to Regis. He just hated lying so much and the King was a good man. He was doing his best to get to know Harry, taking whatever time he could free up to talk to him, share a meal, even spar. He wasn’t Dad or Uncle Somnus but he was family. He was nowhere near ready to admit he was Harry James Lucis Caelum but…maybe he could tell him about Earth?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ardyn wandered the facility, bored. He had sensed something, almost a year ago now. but nothing had changed and so he ignored it. still, every now and then he pondered, what could have caused Gilgamesh and his Brother to stir within a day of each other? They all had their roles to play in Bahamut’s story and he knew they would never dare to try and deviate. Perhaps something had happened with young Noctis? He had heard the report of the boy being in a car accident, had Somnus acted from the Beyond to protect him?

Oh well, it didn’t matter. Plans had begun to be made that would ensure the dear Prince never became King…at least not until it was time for the prophecy to play out.

_TBC…_


	14. ch14

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 14**

Prompto grinned when Harry tugged at the lengthening strands of blond hair. He’d been nervous about growing it out to actually use the beads he’d been given and it’d take a while to get long enough to actually braid, but even Cor and Iggy had encouraged him so long as it was something he wanted. And…he did, the lessons and sense of community, the people had accepted him and the idea of fitting in somewhere was something he’d always wanted. Nyx had even dragged him to the Glaive training grounds to work with him after finding out that Harry and the guys did the same.

“Nyx wear you out?” Harry asked, flopping down on the couch beside him, and Prompto groaned.

“He’s worse then you,” he mumbled, and Harry laughed, an arm going around his shoulders.

Prompto leant against him, he’d been spending even more time with Harry since his ‘adoption’ months ago. He’d been shocked when Harry had shown up at the school after Prompto had been called in over his wearing the bead necklace and then when his hair had begun showing the increasing length, the principal had not been impressed, then again the guy had never liked his attending the school. Having the Immortal’s cousin show up had shocked the man, although why he didn’t know considering everyone knew that Prompto and Noct were best friends. Both Harry and Nyx had made up formal paperwork stating that he was now Galahdan and therefore they couldn’t punish him for traditional jewellery or hair style, that was one of the few concessions they had managed to get from the government. He was so glad Graduation was coming up.

Spending so much time with Harry did have a downside though, it was doing nothing to get him over his crush! It sucked. He didn’t even know if the older teen liked guys, girls, or both. It was stupid, even if he liked guys, there was no way he would be interested in Prompto. He just had to get over it, like he’d gotten over Noct and Iggy. Though he’d gotten over those crushes quicker.

He felt fingers play with his hair and sighed, it felt really good. Hair was a big thing in Galahd culture and he’d never realised how much he liked others messing with his until they’d started.

“Prom?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you…like me?”

He froze, terrified of the question. What had he done to give it away? Would Harry not want to be his friend anymore? Kick him out of the Peverell clan?

“Prompto?” a gentle hand nudged him up, and he sat up, shifting to sit in the corner of the ratty old, yet very comfortable, couch. “Come on Prom, look at me.”

He risked a look at Harry and there was no anger or disgust or anything. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“I…I…” he could feel his face burning. And then his mind went blank as lips pressed against his. He blinked in shock, staring at Harry, had he just? He had. Oh.

“You’re not eighteen yet Prompto and I’m almost nineteen,” Harry said, and Prompto frowned slightly.

Oh, right. Harry was legal and he wasn’t not for another few months anyway. So that meant…Harry liked him too! “And…after my birthday?”

“If you want to go on a date, then I’d agree.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry waved as he walked down the street, returning the greetings offered to him. It was hard to believe he’d been in Insomnia for almost year now. He headed up to his apartment and got out of his uniform before starting on dinner. He’d decided, he was going to tell Regis the truth about Earth, although not his true identity or age. He’d told Prompto that if he asked once he was eighteen he’d date him but…was it right to do that with so many secrets? Maybe he’d bring that up with Regis as well, if he took the revelation well anyway.

Things would be changing now Noct was eighteen and done with school. Graduation and his birthday had been a nightmare and everyone had been glad when it was over. Prompto Ulric-Peverell would be joining the Crownsguard, his paperwork was all filled out and just needed Cor to sign off on it. He knew Nyx had been happy to give Prom his name, not like the Argentum’s deserved it, and Harry had agreed when Nyx had offered it. It made sense, he was part of their clans after all.

Harry was kind of amazed that they’d managed to keep his connection to Regis a secret. He didn’t mind missing the big birthday celebrations at all! Could he really keep his Royal ancestry a secret for the years to come, or would it somehow be revealed. He’d claimed all of the Royal Arms that they knew of within Lucis, except the one they suspected had been taken to Costlemark because no one would agree to let him go in without a full team and that couldn’t be spared. Harry knew he could handle it alone but there was no way to explain that. Cor had made enquires with the Hunters to be on the lookout for more Tombs on the understanding that it was for Noctis’ future pilgrimage, leaving Harry out of it. Surely more must survive given how many rulers there had been since Uncle Somnus.

The war was still pretty much at a standstill, but it had been even before he arrived. They just didn’t have the numbers to match the endless waves of MT’s. One Glaive was worth a hundred MT’s at least, but when their numbers never seemed to decrease it didn’t really matter. They could make more faster than they could recruit and train fighters. Knowing what making more MT’s meant made him sick and he could see it in Regis, Cor, and Clarus, they had at least some idea because of Prompto.

Harry sighed and got up to wash his dishes. He knew he could make a big difference on the frontlines, any Royal could, btu especially him with Earth magics. He hated not being able to do more but something told him that it would not be smart, not at the moment anyway. The Lucii had accepted him but would the Crystal…would the Astrals? Aera had spoken of them often, she had been the first Oracle, but the stories she told and the Crystal she had prayed to left him feeling cold. Did they know the Lucis Caelum carried the blood of another world? Of the way to travel between the two?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Regis stared at his cousin who would not look at him, instead looking out the window at the city. Another world…it sounded insane, then again so did the Lucii and prophecy to anyone other than a Lucis Caelum or those close to the Throne. What could he say? People knew Harry though, from childhood, how could that be? “Harry…”

“Their memories are false, implanted. I needed to fit in so when I heard about the refugees I joined them. I thought I’d just fade into the background, even if I joined the Glaive. I didn’t know the blood tests would give me away as a descendant of Gryffindor,” he answered without Regis having to finish the question. “Technically, the Peverell name faded away centuries ago when the last descendant, a daughter, married into the Potter family. But it fit in better then Potter so I chose to use it. My birth name is Harry James Potter, James after my Father.”

It was definitely a lot to take in. He could understand why Harry hadn’t just told them all that day in his office, they would have thought him insane. But Regis had seen insanity and he knew Harry was sane. What proof could be given though.

Harry glanced at him, lips twitching slightly in an attempt at a smile and then silver light filled the room, coalescing into an animal he’d never seen before. It seemed to look around for something before approaching Harry who held his hand out to it, the creature fading before he could touch it. Regis had never seen magic like that before. “A Patronus is the only defence against Dementors, dark creatures that can literally suck out your soul. It can also be used as a messenger.”

“What kind of animal was that?”

“A stag, my Dad’s Animagus form.”

“Animagus?” he rolled the unfamiliar word around but couldn’t work it out.

Harry laughed but began to explain.

Later that evening, Regis lay in bed, still unable to stop thinking about everything Harry had told him. It was incredible and terrible all at the same time. A world where so many people had magic and such diverse magic at that! Thankfully it didn’t sound like they had armies or anything, otherwise they could cause a lot of trouble should they ever come to Lucis in great numbers. He’d set a day and time with Harry for another spar, this one with Harry using the magic of Earth as well, he wanted to really see what his cousin could do.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis grinned as Prompto sat down, looking between them and obviously understanding that something big was going on. He’d seen Prompto kiss Harry the night before at his party and he was happy for them both, he just hoped today’s announcement didn’t ruin things. They were telling Prompto alone because of that, he needed to know before fully committing to things with Harry, Gladio and Ignis would be told later. He understood why Harry hadn’t wanted to tell them at first but now that they had been friends for a while his cousin was hoping things wouldn’t change. Harry wasn’t the heir after all, he was far enough removed from the main line that normally he wouldn’t be in line for the Throne at all, but since Noct was the only other heir then it did put Harry into the line of succession, the Lucii accepting him had also helped that.

“Noct? Harry?” Prompto shifted nervously, fiddling with his bead necklace. A few more months and he’d have enough hair for his first braid and Noct knew he was looking forward to it.

Harry reached out and took his hand, squeezing gently. “It’s nothing bad,” he told the blond. “Just…well…we lied, in my files.”

Prompto frowned in confusion. “Huh?”

“I’m not related to Cor,” he admitted.

“Okay…then why say it?”

“It’s a cover, to hide who I’m really related to.”

And Prompto proved his was smart as his eyes went wide in shock, looking from Harry to him and back. “You…Lucis Caelum?” he asked shakily, and Harry nodded.

“It isn’t a close relation,” Noctis spoke up. “One of Harry’s ancestors married one of mine before we were Royalty. Harry’s magic is his own, that’s why it’s a different colour. And…” he glanced at Harry who nodded. “If anything ever happened to me, then he’d be Heir. The Lucii accepted him.”

“Cor’s taken me all over Lucis to claim the Royal Arms, that’s why we keep leaving, not family bonding.”

“Oh,” Prompto whispered.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

His mind was spinning as he stared at his best friend and the guy he really liked….Harry was a Prince. That’s what they meant when they said he could be King. And there was no way a Prince would be allowed to date someone like him. Why had Harry kissed him then?

“Prom?” Harry whispered, and he looked back at him, biting his lip, feeling tears in his eyes. He saw Harry’s eyes go wide and then he was sitting beside him, tugging him into his arms. “I can date whoever I want,” he said firmly. “The only people who know are Regis, Lord Amicitia, and Cor. They know I never want to be known as a relative because people would try and curtail my freedom. As Cor’s cousin I can pretty much do what I want. And I don’t care what anyone says, any relationship is my choice.”

Harry would really go against the King, the Council when they found out, to date him?

“Harry’s right, Prompto. No one else knows, though were going to tell Specs and Gladio later today as well. There’s no reason for anyone to try and get involved and even if they did, you know how stubborn Harry is,” Noctis grinned at them and Prompto could practically feel Harry rolling his eyes.

“If anyone thinks I’ll make a political match or that they can tell me who to be with, they’ll soon learn otherwise.”

Prompto felt…guilty, there they were telling him a massive state secret, and he was keeping the truth of what he was from them. He found himself fiddling with his wristband. Would Harry even want to be with him if he found out?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ignis put his book aside, unable to focus on what he was reading. Harry…Harry was a Lucian Prince, related to the King and Noctis, not Cor. It had been a shock to hear and yet, it explained a lot. Honestly, he looked a lot more like the King then he did Cor. It explained why they had worked to find a cover to pull him form the Glaive, the people would have a collective fit if they learned a Prince was fighting on the front lines.

He could understand Harry’s reasoning in not telling them, he had wanted them to know him before finding out, to be his friends first. It would be difficult to not treat him like the Royal he was, it would have been even harder before they knew him. He did not like the idea of him living in Little Galahd, he’d seen his apartment there and it was not at all suitable, plus it was far too far from the Citadel in case of emergency. Noctis’ apartment building had been secure and well-guarded, that was not possible at Harry’s. Although, most of the other residents were Glaive so he did have some backup.

Even his Citadel apartment was not suitable for a Prince, it was much closer to his own than the Royal apartments. He understood it was to maintain the deception that he was Cor’s cousin but still, it was not the kind of place a Prince should be living. Harry however didn’t seem to care and he guessed growing up isolated in Galahd was the reason for that. His living conditions were likely far better now than they had been in the Imperial occupied territory.

While he was happy for them, he was concerned about the developing relationship between Harry and Prompto. Would Prompto be able to handle the backlash and pressure that would come from dating a Prince when the truth came out?

_TBC…_

_Something of a filler. Time skip ahead._


	15. ch15

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 15**

Prompto ran a towel through his hair, drying it, before running a brush through it. He then went to work putting his braids back in. First were his two clan braids, one for the Peverell and the other for Ulric, each braid subtly different and ended in the clan bead, smaller beads threaded through the braid to list accomplishments to honour the clan. Then there was the braid for clan heir to the Ulric which had been a shock, but they were one of the few strictly Patriarchal clans which meant it couldn’t be Crowe, not that she wanted the spot. The final braid made him smile, the Peverell courting braid that Harry had placed in his hair for the first time six months ago.

He hadn’t seen his ‘parents’ since before he was clan adopted and he sometimes wondered what they’d think if they saw him now. Hair braided and now with the small, subtle tattoos of the Galahd. He had a line and a dot under his right eye and a line down the forefinger of his right hand to signify he had passed his manhood hunt. That had been…interesting and the first time he’d left the city since Cor had brought him as a child. The one under his eye indicated he had incredibly keen eyesight, even better than Nyx who wore his under his left eye. More could come in time as he earned them.

He grabbed his boots and sat to put them on, settled his kukris into place at the small of his back, and grabbed his vest before leaving his apartment, waving as Libertus walked down the hall. He loved living in Little Galahd! He felt accepted in a way he hadn’t anywhere else, no matter where he’d been ‘born’ he was now accepted as one of them. It had taken him a while to get used to the blades but they were the traditions weapon of the Ulric clan so he carried one in a holster at his back, hidden by his uniform vest, and its partner was kept in the Armiger, ready to be called in a second.

“Hey kid,” Libertus greeted.

“Hi Libertus, I heard you’re heading out soon?”

“Yeah, we’re being deployed now that the Mages are back to full strength.”

“You’ll be careful,” Prompto told him, and he chuckled, slapping him on the shoulder.

“Always am, I’m not Nyx,” they both laughed at that and then parted, Prompto heading for the Citadel.

Ignis was the only one of Noct’s Retainers who actually lived at the Citadel with him, Gladio lived at the Amicitia home while Prompto had his apartment. He was two floors up from Harry which was nice. He had refused Noctis’ offer of staying at his old apartment, it felt too much like charity, and it had been Nyx who had pointed out that he could live in Little Galahd and then Harry had mentioned the empty apartment in his building and the rest was history. It was tiny yeah, but he didn’t need more. Technically speaking, the Argentum’s hadn’t kicked him out, but the house going up for sale had made it pretty clear that they were done with him. It didn’t matter, they’d barely been in his life for years before he’d ever turned eighteen. He had a better, bigger, family now.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Noctis collapsed on the bench, breathing hard, glaring at his cousin who was barely breathing faster. Harry caught the look and laughed, tossing him a water bottle.

“Show off,” he grumbled, but drank the water. He knew he had come a long way over the last three years since Harry had arrived but he still wasn’t up to Harry or his Dad’s level and he probably never would be.

“Hey, you’re doing great,” Harry sat beside him, and Noctis leant against him, ignoring how sweaty they were.

“Thanks,” he murmured, worn out.

“Come on, shower time,” Harry nudged him, and he groaned, but got up and headed for the shower room attached to the private training room rather than walk through the Citadel covered in sweat.

They were soon clean and dressed in fresh clothing, heading back to Noctis’ suite. “So, how goes the courting?” he asked, as they collapsed on the couches. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed Prom sporting a new braid the last few months, any special meaning?” he teased.

Harry rolled his eyes. “It’s a courting braid, as if you hadn’t guessed.”

Noctis smiled. “Good, I’m happy for you both.”

“What about you? Lady Meren’s daughter?”

Noctis groaned. “Elisa and no, we are not courting! There is no one in Court that I want to…well, court, let alone end up tied to for life.”

“Poor Noct,” Harry commiserated cheekily.

Noctis took the mature route and stuck his tongue out at his cousin before smirking. “So…when’s the wedding?”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry sat beside Cor, reading the various reports and feeling horrible.

“Forget it kid, Regis would never sanction it,” Cor said, and Harry looked up at him in confusion. “We are not sending you to the front, even if you did agree to admit to exactly who you are related to.”

“The war’s never going to end the way it’s going, we just can’t get the numbers unless conscription is brought in and that would cause rioting. Insomnian’s don’t want to see what’s happening beyond the Wall, to them everything is just fine,” he pointed out what they both knew. Recruitment numbers for both the Glaive and Guard had been steadily dropping since the last influx of refugees when Harry had arrived, and it had been nearly non-existent before that wave.

“And…I think it’s more than that,” Harry admitted.

“What do you mean?” Cor asked.

“Some of the reports…I think we might have a spy or two.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked, so Harry began pointing out the evidence.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prompto grinned and kissed Harry, hands on his waist, Harry’s hands on his own waist as Prompto straddled him on the bed, Harry sitting up against the wall. Time alone together had become scarce once Prompto had joined the Guard, he was expected to be at Noct’s side most of the time, or on duty elsewhere to continue learning since he hadn’t grown up as part of the Citadel like Gladio and Ignis.

They parted and Harry pushed Prompto’s braids back behind his ear, stroking his cheek. Prompto blushed slightly at the look in his eyes, he still struggled with anyone finding him attractive or caring about him. Harry tugged him into another, gentler, kiss. “I love you Prom,” Harry whispered, and Prompto pressed closer, resting his head on his shoulder.

“Love you Harry.” They’d been dating for two years, officially ‘courting’ by Galahd standards for almost eight months now, and he knew that Harry was it for him. Harry had to be the least ‘Royal’ Royal ever, but Prompto had still had to ‘meet’ the King as more than Noct’s best friend or new Crownsguard, he’d had to meet him as his cousins boyfriend…and that had been the scariest meeting of them all.

Still, he knew one day it could all come out and while it terrified him, he couldn’t leave Harry. They’d talked about what it would mean to date known Royalty, and Prompto had talked to Cor about it, the Marshal had cleared it with the King so Prompto could tell Harry the truth about his own past….but he still hadn’t been able to do it. He had to, before things could go any further between them, physically or legally. It’d break his heart if Harry couldn’t accept what he was, even more than if Noct turned his back on him. Noctis was his best friend and he loved him, but Harry was different.

“Hey, you okay,” Harry asked softly, a hand running up and down his t-shirt clad back.

“I…I’m sorry,” he forced out, and Harry’s grip on him tightened.

“For what?” he asked gently.

“I should have told you, Cor said I could but…I…I’m scared,” he admitted shakily, unable to lift his head and look at him.

“Shhh, it’s okay Prom, you can tell me anything,” Harry answered, and then Prompto felt his fingers rub over the black leather band he wore around his wrist, stiffening. He couldn’t know…could he. “Is this it?” Harry asked.

Prompto was trembling, face pressed hard into Harry’s shoulder. How could he know?

“I saw your wrist ages ago Prom, remember when you got caught on that open door and it snapped the band off. I saw your tattoo.”

“It’s…it’s not a tattoo,” he choked.

“I’ve seen code marks like it before, in intelligence reports,” Harry admitted, and Prompto stiffened, unable to breath. Harry shifted and Prompto found him gently urging his head up, their eyes meeting. “It’s okay Prom, I love you.”

“I’m…I’m an MT,” he gasped out, waiting for him to retract his love declaration, to summon a weapon, call the Guard…something.

“You’re not,” Harry denied, and Prompto shook his head, he didn’t believe him? “Prompto I’ve seen you bleed, your blood is as red and human as mine.

Prompto grabbed Harry’s hand and pressed it to where the port in his arm was, he’d spent his whole life in Insomnia making sure no one found it and now he was making Harry find it. “I was made in a lab,” he whispered. “I…I should have told you before…”

Harry gently pressed on the skin, Prompto fighting to not pull back as he felt Harry find the metal beneath his skin. “Oh Prom,” and then lips were pressing to his, soft and gentle. “I’ve always known you were from Niflheim, you look way too much like a certain member of government there for it to be a coincidence. Honestly I’m shocked no one’s ever commented on it, just given the more standard slurs. It doesn’t change anything, you’re still Prompto.”

“But…”

“Are you planning on betraying us and helping the Empire? Killing the King or Noct?”

“What? NO!” he denied, eyes wide, did Harry really think…

Harry smiled at him. “Then what does it change?”

“But I’m…I’m just a science experiment.”

“You are Prompto Ulric-Peverell, member of the Crownsguard and Retainer to Prince Noctis. The person I am very much in love with,” Harry smiled again. “That is what matters, who you chose to be, not what the Empire wanted.”

“Really?” he asked, and Harry nodded.

“Really,” Harry promised. “Now come here,” Harry shifted to lie on the bed, and Prompto followed, curling into his side. They lay together all night, Harry gently rubbing his back until Prompto fell asleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry held Prom as he slept, happy that Prompto had told him, and feeling even worse over the secrets he was still keeping. He had to tell him and something told him that he was running out of time. Something was coming…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

_“All units, move to secure the wall. If they break through, we're done.”_

“What's the hold-up, Crowe? Crowe! Status?” Libertus yelled into his comm, ducking behind some cover.

_“Almost there,”_ she answered, voice strained.

_“I need help.”_

_“East wall's going down.”_

_“Pelna, can you get to me?”_ that was Nyx, and Libertus risked lifting his head to search for his best friend in the mess the battle field had become.

Lucis isn't paying us refugees enough for this,” he muttered before taking off, throwing himself into a group of MT’s, blades dancing.

,,,,,,,,

_“We need support on the east flank.”_

_“Nyx, where are you?”_

“I'm on my way,” he promised, patting Pelna’s shoulder. “Pelna, fall back and regroup with the others.”

“Go easy on the magic, hero. You got people waiting for you back home,” Pelna warned, and he nodded.

“I'm worth the wait,” he promised, besides Harry would find a way to bring him back and kill him again for giving Prom the extra stress of ending up Clan Head so young. He threw his blade, warping after it, just hearing Pelna’s mutter as he vanished.

“Show-off.”

_“Watch your back, Libertus.”_

_“We got more incoming.”_

_We ain't gonna last much longer.”_

Nyx mostly ignored the voices on the comm as he worked to push back the daemons, glancing up at where the magic was building. “Crowe!” he called.

_“Yes!”_ she yelled, and he grinned as the magic hit critical, a burning tornado touching down to consume the daemons and MT’s.

“All glaives, fall back. Repeat, all glaives fall back!” Luche’s voice called over the comm and Nyx took off running. The magic would suck up anything and everything in its way, Imperial or Lucian.

He slid behind a broken pillar, out of range of the sucking winds, panting, only to hear screams and swearing. He glanced back and his eyes widened as he saw the massive thing being delivered onto the battlefield. Was that really a daemon?

_“We can't take down that daemon. I'm ordering a full retreat. Get back here alive. That's an order. For hearth and home,”_ Drautos’ stern voice came over the line.

“All units, fall back to the extraction point. Support is inbound,” Luche added a minute later.

“Nyx!” he heard a yell and glanced over at his fellow Glaive who had just warped in, not sure who it was with the hood and mask in place, the wind robbing the voice of distinguishing tones. “We have to get out of here.”

“Nyx!” Crowe yelled over the comm, as if knowing he wasn’t retreating yet.

“We have orders!”

“Yeah,” he agreed, getting ready to move.

“Help! Nyx!”

He looked out and grimaced as he saw Libertus, pinned down with a Cerberus of all things headed right for him. “Oh, that idiot,” he growled, grabbing one of his kukris.

“Nyx!”

He ignored the call and warped.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Luche, report,” Titus ordered as he left the vehicle, glancing around at the ragged group, the wounded already being seen too.

“The imperial forces look to be withdrawing, sir.” Luche answered, appearing totally puzzled by the move when in fact it had all been planned.

“Guess I owe you another one,” the familiar voice of Ostium reached them, and Titus looked to see him on a stretcher, Ulric keeping pace beside it.

“I'll put it on your tab. You just try and get some rest, all right?”

Titus walked towards him as Ostium was carried away, seeing Ulric stiffen as soon as he spotted him. “You disobeyed a direct order to retreat,” he growled. The younger man had his uses but oh he was frustrating. He would be good on their side, but for some reason he was just too loyal to the King.

“For hearth and home, right, sir?” he shrugged, leaning tiredly against a truck. “As long as I got strength in my body, I obey that order.”

“Don't fool yourself, Nyx Ulric,” he snapped. “Whatever strength you have is on loan from the king. You are nothing without him. Await details of your reassignment.” He walked away before he could say more. Sometimes he was tempted to send him on a suicide mission just so he could get some peace, but his skill with the King’s magic had its own uses.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Nyx watched as Libertus was unloaded from the van, and then looked up as someone approached, mustering a grin for the younger man,

“You look a mess,” Harry told him, looking Libertus over before breaking a hi-potion over him.

“Harry…”

“Don’t argue Libertus, I’m not on the front lines so I can spare them. The sooner you’re back on your feet the better,” Harry scolded, and Nyx smothered a grin.

Harry was always slipping them curatives, enough that someone in power had to know since Harry wasn’t in a combat position where he’d need to be replacing them often. That meant whoever it was had no issue with them being slipped to the Glaive and even civilians in the neighbourhood who were in need. Maybe he didn’t even get them officially but from the Prince since he could make them too. It was well known that Prince Noctis supported the Glaive and Galahd especially, had even before meeting Harry and Prompto’s adoption.

They watched as Libertus was carried away just to be safe.

“So, did they really retreat?” Harry asked quietly.

“Yeah…they had us and they left.”

“A test?” Harry offered, and Nyx shrugged. ‘Let me know if you need anything.” He then left and Nyx went to clean up before heading home to get some sleep.

,,,,,,,,,,

Harry stood off to the side of the throne in uniform, technically on guard duty, but unofficially there in his role as Royal something of an apprentice to Cor.

“Yes, your Majesty. Despite their victory all but assured,” Titus reported.

“A sudden and inexplicable retreat?” one of the council called in disbelief.

Harry wanted to glance at Regis to see his reaction but remained unmoving, just listening. Why would they simply pull back when they were winning? It didn’t make any sense.

“We are at risk nonetheless, your Majesty. We cannot know when they will strike again,” Clarus spoke up before anyone could get too excited over the first ‘victory’ in far too long.

One of Harry’s fellow Guard approached and bowed. “Your Majesty, word from the west gate. A man claiming to be an envoy of the empire requests an audience.”

And chaos reigned.

_TBC…_


End file.
